Though Fishpelt didn't know the way, the choice was almost instant.
"Yes.. I think I'll go on by myself," she murmured, unable to tear her eyes away from the cave. She took a step closer, but halted again to add,
"I guess I'll see you in a bit. Try not to freeze your tail off out here."Sucking in a deep breath, Fishpelt slowly began padding towards Mothermouth. She hesitated yet again as she set foot at the entrance, feeling butterflies in her stomach.
This is it. No turning back now.Suddenly feeling a little determined, Fishpelt proceeded, the shadows engulfing her from head to tail. The air was stale and cold, and she couldn't make out any sort of distinctive scent. Worst of all, Fishpelt couldn't see an inch on front of her face, forcing her to take slow, tentative steps. The only thing to guide the she-cat were the walls around her, which were slowly closing in on her as she went. Finally, when her shoulders began to scrape against the stone and her heart was in her throat, she took a left, and stumbled into a large cavern. What she saw stole her breath away.
There, sitting in the middle of the cavern was the most beautiful, iridescent stone Fishpelt had ever seen. It was bathed in moonlight, which was peeking through a crack in the ceiling, and cast a thousand rays of light onto the ground surrounding it. As she approached it, the tabby found that it was translucent.
I’ve never seen anything like this..Shaking her head rigorously, Fishpelt focused on the task at hand.
No more stalling. From what she’d heard as a kit, leaders crouched next to the Moonstone and touched their noses to it in order to meet with StarClan, and she did just that. As soon as her nose came in contact with the stone, she felt a coldness shoot through her body, seeping right into her bones. For a number of minutes, she lay there, freezing and wondering why nothing was happening.
Why am I not falling asleep? Am I not worthy to become leader?Just as she was about to rise to her paws and beg StarClan for answers, she felt an unusual drowsiness set in, and before she knew it, she was asleep.
When she awoke, Fishpelt was in a forest. The trees, elegant and lush, stretched far above her head. The ground was layered with a blanket of soupy mist, and beneath, cool moss and dew-painted grass. Somewhere nearby, she could hear a river murmuring.. But there was no one else present.
Fishpelt stood to get a better look around, but there was not a soul in sight.
I’m dreaming now, but where is StarClan? Something caught the corner of the deputy’s eye, and she turned around and looked skyward. She froze instantly, awestruck. Silverpelt was
moving.
The stars swirled around in a magnificent spiral pattern, high above Fishpelt, and began drifting downward. One by one, the cats of StarClan danced circles around the leader-to-be, flecks of starlight flying off of their pelt and scattering onto the grass below. When they settled down, Fishpelt was encircled.
“Welcome, Fishpelt,” an unrecognizable voice called out from behind her, startling her. “Are you ready to receive your nine lives and leader name?”
“I-I am,” she stammered, not quite sure if she really was.
The cats before her parted to make way for a small figure padding in Fishpelt’s direction. At first she didn’t recognize who it was, but as they got closer, her heart twisted in her chest.
“Fogpaw..” Fishpelt felt a rush of sorrow.
“.. I--”“Don’t blame yourself for my death,” the apprentice cut in softly, sitting in front of her former mentor.
“You not being there does not mean it was your fault.”Fishpelt sighed.
“Alright.. But I still wish I could have been there to protect you. You really deserved better.”“I do wish I could have been there to receive my warrior name before I left, but at least I get to be here for this special ceremony.” The younger she-cat offered her a smile, and stretched her neck upwards to press her against Fishpelt’s.
“With this life, I give you forgiveness. Use it to find peace with those you come into conflict with for the good of your Clan, and to be kind to yourself, as well.”A warm feeling began radiating throughout Fishpelt’s body, soothing her blistered paws and aching limbs. She closed her eyes, sighing contently. She felt the guilt of Fogpaw’s death melt away, leaving her happy that the apprentice was now in a better place. When she opened her eyes again, Fogpaw had vanished in the ranks of the gathered StarClan cats.
The next cat to appear before the deputy was not someone Fishpelt recognized. Her fur gave off a slight herbal scent, and her eyes were pools of knowledge and starlight. She sat down daintily before the grey tabby.
Who is this?“I am Morningfur, Sparrowpaw’s predecessor. I passed on before you were born, but I stand here today to grant you one of your leader lives.” Fishpelt bowed her head in both respect and greeting.
“With this life, I give you integrity. Use so you will always do the right thing, no matter what the circumstances may be.”When they touched noses, whatever warmth that lingered from her last life drained away. A thousand different voices shrieked inside her head at once, all screaming a thousand different things.
Deceive.. Kill.. Betray.. Surrender.. Lie.. No longer able to hear her own thoughts over the furious voices, Fishpelt began to panic. Just as the voices became deafening, the voices ceased their chanting simultaneously. Fishpelt exhaled sharply, her fur prickling with unease.
When she looked up again, she came face to face with an old friend of her’s. Her heart leapt in her chest.
“R-Ryefur!”He grinned.
“It’s great to see you, Fishpelt. How have you been?” The she-cat shrugged.
“Alright, I suppose..” That was an understatement.
“It hasn’t been very easy lately, to be honest with you.”“Life is never easy,” Ryefur murmured.
“It’s not going to get any easier from here on out, either, but it’s not all going to be bad. RiverClan is going to grow stronger and stronger, and so will you.” He leaned forward to touch noses with Fishpelt.
“With this life, I give you perserverance. Use it to pull through all of the challenges you will face as a Clan leader.” Instantly, Fishpelt felt dozens of claws tearing at her flanks. She gasped loudly and clenched her teeth, feeling as if she was going to be dragged down onto the ground. Instead, she stayed right in place, and after a few more seconds of searing pain, the feeling began to ebb away. Raising her head, Fishpelt found a small cat, barely an apprentice, sitting before her, tiny whiskers twitching.
“Who might you be?” Fishpelt asked.
“I’m Stonekit,” the small tom replied, eyes wide and filled with energy.
“your brother.” Fishpelt had no memory of Stonekit, but she remembered her mother speaking of him. He’d been born moments before Fishpelt had, but died a few short days afterwards. An unfortunate deformity had occurred somewhere inside his body, which weakened him over time and eventually killed him.
“I would’ve loved to grow up with you, Mistfeather, and Breezeleaf, but this place is so cool. Everyone here is really nice, and it’s always warm.” The kit smiled up at Fishpelt. She smiled back, but couldn’t help but feel a little sad for him. Sure, StarClan seemed wonderful, but like Fogpaw, there was so many things in the land of the living that Stonekit would never be able to experience. He raised himself upwards on his hind legs and stretched his neck out to press his nose to his sister’s.
“With this life, I give you compassion. Use it to bring out the best qualities not only in yourself, but in others, as well.” He stepped back from her and backed away.
Fishpelt was sure that compassion couldn’t possibly be as painful as her previous lives had been, but she was wrong. An icy, numbing pain raced up her legs and crept all the way to the back of her neck. Her heart seemed to twist and drummed rhythmically within her chest, feeling as if it were ready to burst. The pain trickled away slowly this time, leaving her breathing laboured.
By the time Fishpelt’s heart maintained a steady beat once more, a fifth cat had arrived to grant her a life. As Fishpelt beheld her, she squinted. This cat seemed very familiar, but she could quite place it. She was sure she’d seen the distinctive milky green of this cat’s eyes before.
Oh, StarClan.. She did know who this was. Faint memories of Fishpelt’s early days swept through her mind.. the musk of milk, the feel of a large, warm tongue rasping at her pelt, her sisters dozing off beside her..
“M.. Mother?”The dusky-brown queen purred.
“Oh, Fishpelt, my wonderful daughter..” She leaned forward and pressed her muzzle to Fishpelt’s. The deputy gratefully accepted her mother’s affection, finding the sweet aroma of her fur comforting after so many painful lives.
Brookstripe drew away from her daughter.
“I’m beyond proud that you’ve earned the rank of leader, Fishpelt. I want you to know that.” Her expression suddenly became more stern.
“I have no doubts that you will make an excellent leader, but not everyone is going to cooperate with you--or the warrior code, for that matter--all the time. If people disobey your laws or the laws of StarClan, they must receive discipline for their foul deeds.” Fishpelt nodded, and they touched noses.
“With this life, I give you justice. Use it to doll out consequences fairly whenever a law is breached or your authority is questioned.” Fishpelt could feel the strength sapping from her limbs. It started slow, but gradually became faster and more dizzying. Just as Fishpelt thought her legs would give out beneath her, a bout of energy surged throughout her body, reinvigorating her and. It made her feel taller, somehow, despite height being the same as she'd always been. She felt empowered.
Brookstripe gave Fishpelt one last, lingering lick on the forehead before retreating into the lines of shining cats. Fishpelt’s heart ached to linger in her presence just a little bit longer. It was tiring being deputy, and her mother seemed to soothe her stress over in a way no medicinal herb ever would.
She nearly forgot about her longing when the sixth cat approached her. Last time Fishpelt had saw Reedstar, his pelt had been matted with his own blood, and his spine had been twisted at impossible, grotesque angles. Now, he was full of life, and his fur was stainless once more. the former leader seated himself on the mossy ground and encircled his paws with his tail.
“I always had a feeling I would meet you here someday. You were always such a clever young cat.”“I-I..” she trailed off immediately, not quite sure what to say. “I certainly never expected to become leader.. There were more qualified cats than me that Sunstar could have chosen.”
“I didn’t expect Froststar to appoint me, either,” Reedstar admitted,
“but it seems I was born to become leader. You were, as well.” He glanced at his paws and then back up again, frowning.
“When you return to RiverClan camp, you’ll appoint your own deputy. My first deputy was a treacherous usurper who I had to kill in order to take back control." Fishpelt swallowed uncomfortably. That was not reassuring.
"How am I supposed to know who's right for the role? Can you help me?"Reedstar sighed.
"I can't tell you who to choose, but I will assist you as best as I can in hopes that you don't make the same mistake as me." He pressed his nose to the younger cat's.
"With this life, I give you good judgement. Use it to choose your successor wisely and to make the right decisions."Fishpelt was immediately struck with a throbbing headache. She doubled over, grinding her teeth together in agony. She saw visions of a thousand lights in her head, all calling out to her in garbled voices. Gradually, the lights began to disappear until only one light remained. Fishpelt squinted. The voice seemed to be clearing up, and she could make out some of the words. Just as the words began to form sentences, the voice cut out and Fishpelt snapped back to reality. Reedstar was gone.
The seventh cat to step forward was, again, someone Fishpelt didn’t recognize. It was a large, broad-shouldered tom with shaggy ginger fur and cool green eyes. Fishpelt offered him a courteous nod.
“Greetings, Fishpelt. My name is Sandwhisker.” He returned the gesture.
“I perished in a flood that swept over the camp a few moons before you were born. Your mother was a good friend of mine.” Fishpelt bowed her head, ready to accept the life.
“I’ve always believed that peace is the most important thing to preserve, so with this life, I give you understanding. Use it to prolong peace within your own Clan--and with other Clans--for as long as you can."Fishpelt felt a cool sensation trickle through her body. The feeling was akin to diving into the river during a hot summer afternoon. She never wanted it to end, but sadly, it too faded away. Feeling rather refreshed, the she-cat straightened her back. Only two lives left, and I’ll get to go home and sleep for the rest of the night.
The eighth cat seemed to be coming from the back of the crowd. Fishpelt watched as star-flecked warriors shifted to make way for them, but she couldn’t see who it was. Finally, Fishpelt caught sight of a dusky brown pelt.
She knew that dusky brown pelt.
“Breezeleaf..” The silver tabby’s voice was barely above a whisper. Emotions threatened to choke her as her sister approached. Rotten memories of Breezeleaf’s untimely death raced back into Fishpelt’s mind. It had been a relatively normal day until Breezeleaf collapsed onto the ground, wailing about a sudden, sharp pain in her belly. Sparrowpaw had been able to do nothing to soothe the pain, and that night, the RiverClan deputy had watched the life drain out of her sister’s eyes, frustratingly helpless.
“With that look on your face, I can’t tell if you’re happy to see me or not.” Breezeleaf was as jubilant as she’d been before her death, her humour fully intact. Fishpelt couldn’t help but break a smile under her sister’s smug expression.
“Of course I’m happy to see you,” Fishpelt laughed.
“It’s too bad Mistfeather can’t be here with us.”“What, does she miss my amazing ThunderClan jokes already?” Breezeleaf snorted amusingly.
“Goodness, I wish I could have been there to kick their sorry rumps right back into the undergrowth.” Her tail lashed behind her, the thrills of battle vivid in her gaze.
“But since I’m stuck up here with all these old coots, you’ll have to do that for me.”Fishpelt offered her a mock bow.
“It would be my pleasure.” Breezeleaf, amused with her elder sister’s response, placed her muzzle on Fishpelt’s forehead and said,
“With this life, I give you courage. Use it to lead RiverClan fearlessly through the hardest of times.”Fishpelt felt the force of a rushing wind collide with her body. She dug her claws into the moss and squeezed her eyes shut, afraid she was going to topple over and fly backwards. She never did, however. She didn’t move an inch.
I will not let anything knock me down.As as the intensity of the eighth life dwindled away, Fishpelt opened her eyes to see that the cats of StarClan were disappearing. One by one, their bodies melted away into the fog and disappeared entirely, leaving no trace that they’d ever been present. Whirling around, Fishpelt realized that there was only one cat still lingering close to her. Before even leaving on her journey to Mothermouth, Fishpelt knew she would have to face Sunstar again at some point. Her heart both soared and ached as the golden tom strode towards his deputy. All traced of the relentless blackcough that had stolen him from the world had vanished from his features.
“Oh, Sunstar..” Fishpelt’s voice cracked as she spoke.
“.. I-I don’t even know what to say.”“There’s no need to trouble yourself,” he reassured her, wearing a warm, broad smile.
“I understand how hard it is to lose your leader. Reedstar was both my guide and my friend, and when he died, I felt lost and wounded beyond measure.” Sunstar sat down, and Fishpelt glanced at the ground, unable to meet his gaze.
“But I knew that someday, I would see him again, and more importantly, I was to be leader after him. The same thing applies to you, Fishpelt. You were destined to leader from the moment you were born, and now you must lead RiverClan through the thick and the thin. You must be strong for them, and learn to put the past behind you in order to do so. Today, I stand here to grant you your ninth life.” Fishpelt looked up, finally meeting his eyes. Sunstar was right. If Fishpelt was to lead her Clanmates, she could not afford to be weak and spend her days grieving for all those who she had lost. What was most important now was the future of RiverClan. She held her head a little higher and nodded.
“I understand now.” Sunstar grinned again.
“That’s good to hear. I know that you will make a great leader, and that you will continue to be honoured even after you’ve joined me the ranks of StarClan.” He craned his neck and placed his muzzle atop Fishpelt’s. She could feel his voice rumble as he spoke.
“With this life, I give you wisdom, nobility and leadership. Use these qualities to lead your Clan into an era of peace and prosperity, and to make it so the rest of the forest will never forget your name.” The sensation that followed Sunstar’s words was a mixture of different things. First, Fishpelt could feel the weight of all of her combined lives resting on her back, making her breath hitch in agony. She barely contained a cry of pain from escaping her maw. She expected the pain to grow weaker, but it only grew more severe. She staggered downwards into the mist, fearful that she would grow unconscious. Just as Fishpelt’s vision wavered and her strength had dwindled dangerously low, she felt Sunstar’s tail tip on her right shoulder. Suddenly, a fierce rush of power and knowledge coursed throughout her entire body. She struggled, but managed to sit upright again. The wisdom and knowledge of all the past leaders raced through Fishpelt’s mind like a raging river, and her limbs grew sturdy and sure beneath her once more. When she met Sunstar’s eyes once more, his eyes were filled with an overwhelming look of pride.
“You have received your nine lives, and now reign over RiverClan as its sovereign. I name you Fishstar, and wish only that you will lead them well.” All around her, though invisible to her, the cats of StarClan began to shout the new leader’s name simultaneously, their voices threaded with joy.
“Fishstar! Fishstar! Fishstar!” The chanting continued as the beautiful scenery before Fishstar fizzled away into darkness, and before she she knew it, she could feel cold stone beneath her paws once more. She rose to her paws and shook her head rigorously. Her eyes came to rest on the Moonstone, still as luminous as it had been before.
Thank you, she prayed silently to the cats of StarClan before turning away from the crystal and slipping into the gloomy passageway.
When Fishstar emerged from Mothermouth, she held herself more confidently than she had before entering, chest puffed out the slightest bit. She found Sparrowpaw still huddling against the ground, giving him a gentle tap on the shoulder with her tail to signal that it was time to go.
“Let’s head home, Sparrowpaw.” OOC:
That took forever. Good riddance, and good day.
