The brown she-cat was stopped in front of the looming cave of Mothermouth. Her paws ached from the long trek across the territories with WindClan's trusted medicine cat, Gorsefeather. She glanced back nervously at the tortoiseshell. Sablefur was having second thoughts. Was this it? Was she really meant to do this? The medicine cat had talked her through it on their way to this very spot. All she had to do was touch her nose to the Moonstone. She'd never even seen the Moonstone nor ever spoken to StarClan. "Are you sure you can't come in with me?" she asked softly, giving a weak smile to Gorsefeather. She was met with a small shake of the head. Of course not. Sablefur turned back toward the Mothermouth, silently creeping toward the cave in the darkness of night.
I can do this... Gorsefeather will be right behind me. I'll be fine. As she was squeezing through the dark entrance of the cave, she felt her whiskers push into her face. This was a very hard-to-reach place. How did any cat ever find this? After she had finally slipped through the musty and narrow entrance, she glanced back. She couldn't even see down where she'd came. It seemed she was alone, now. Gorsefeather seemed to be miles away... My paws are trembling... I can't do this... Sablefur took a moment to examine her surroundings. The room was large and filled with moonlight. In the center, a shining, blue crystal. It was beautiful! The WindClan deputy's eyes glowed with awe. This was obviously a treasure of StarClan. No cat could deny that. Though, she was hesitant to touch it.
"All you must do is touch your nose to the Moonstone. You will fall asleep and wake up among our ancestors. It will be an unforgettable experience, but you must keep it to yourself." The medicine cat's voice rang in her ears. It was easier said than done, wasn't it? Her soul would wake up in StarClan whilst her physical body remained in the real world. It is... phenomenal. It is... scary. Sablefur finally crept toward the stone, having to squint her eyes at its sparkling radiance. It was cold and smooth against the she-cat's nose. A rush of exhaustion swept over her muscles, and she immediately collapsed.
Sablefur's eyes shot open. What happened? She gathered onto her paws, which she noted weren't sore anymore. The air was heavy with mist and morning dew despite the stars that dotted the sky. The brown warrior eyed the tall trees and grassy plains surrounding her. Where was everyone? Surely StarClan was expecting her? A flicker of movement caught her eye. Not among the trees nor among the tall grasses. The... the sky. Sablefur stared up at the band of stars that was Silverpelt. The sky was alive. The stars were actually dancing. Silverpelt moved closer, and the deputy couldn't help but lower herself onto the dew-covered ground. The bright stars swirled around her in a tight circle. As her eyes focused, she realized they weren't just stars. They were cats. These cats had stars in their pelts and sparkled with a white fire. This was StarClan?
"Why is the future leader of WindClan cowering like a small kit? Surely I taught you better?" Came a tom's voice from the cats surrounding her. The deputy blinked in surprise. The voice was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She obediently brought herself to straighten up and pick out the voice from among the crowd. "Sablefur, are you ready to receive your nine lives?" Her eyes fell upon a starry cat. Beneath the stars she could detect dark gray tabby fur with milky white markings.
"Bristlefur!" she nearly yowled. Sablefur hadn't seen her mentor since she was just a "paw." The tom approached her. Despite his stoic stance, she could see a hint of delight twinkling in his eye.
"The cats of StarClan have waited anxiously for your arrival. I will do the honors of presenting you with your first life." He stepped forward so that she could smell the mixture of elements clinging to his fur. She could barely contain her excitement in seeing him again, but she stood, whiskers trembling "Sablefur, I give you your first life: Patience. May you be more tolerant of others and stay calm under pressure." Her former mentor's nose buried into her forehead. Sablefur was expecting warmth, but a surge of pain coursed through her body. It left as quickly as it had come, but now a heavy weight was pulled on each of her limbs. Darkness flooded her vision, and she felt herself unable to move. It seemed as if many hours had passed before her vision was restored and she had control of her muscles again, which felt much weaker than before.
Sablefur was suddenly fearful of the next lives to come. What an awful experience... Another tom stepped forward. This time, it was a smaller brown apprentice. The memories of this cat filled her with dread and pain. Smokepaw. Her first apprentice. The WindClan tom had tragically committed suicide by running onto the Thunderpath. Now, he seemed as bubbly and happy as he had before the incident. Her body screamed to ask him the question- why? However, he interrupted her thoughts before she could speak. "With this life, I give you hope so that you may overcome any problems you or your Clan may face." Smokepaw pressed his nose onto her forehead, sending her mind into a spiral. There was a sudden stillness and newfound feeling rolling through her veins. Images of kits playing in the nursery during newleaf and the many victories of WindClan melted into her mind, realizing a new burst of energy and outlook.
Next was a sturdy dark brown tabby tom. He looked like a force to be reckoned with; a righteous warrior. Sablefur recognized Thornclaw, the former deputy, and purred with contentment. "With this life, I give you strength so that you may feel the presence of LionClan and TigerClan with every pawstep." With the firm touch of his nose, Sablefur painfully felt the muscles beneath her fur flexing and bulging involuntarily. The pain seethed in every fiber of her, and her limbs felt sore. Though, she felt as if her bones had been reinforced with oak trees. Her chest was held high despite the pain stabbing at her. Thornclaw stepped back into the crowd of starry cats.
After Sablefur had gathered her composure, a new face emerged. She was filled with happiness to see her father again. She recalled Owlpelt being murdered in cold blood by Sablefur's brother, Twopelt. It was hard for the she-cat to process, but she was glad she could see her father once again. "With this life, I give you justice. May you use it to do what is right in the eyes of the code." Sablefur leaned forward to take every memory of her father with her. Pain immediately shot through her blood, and the brown warrior was left in a crumpled heap before the paws of StarClan. Twopelt's exile and death bubbled through her thoughts as lightning seemed to strike the base of her tail and travel up her spine.
Four lives... Not even halfway there. How am I going to get through this? she thought to herself, shaking against the grassy moor. Paws stepped forward, almost trampling her whiskers. Glancing up, a different scent hit her nostrils. The scent of honeysuckle and milk.
It was a dark brown tabby she-cat with white paws and tail. Her amber eyes shone brightly upon Sablefur, who weakly tried rising to her paws to greet the StarClan cat. Her mother looked more beautiful than she could remember... "With this life, I give you love," Hawkflight began, not waiting for the deputy to speak. "Use it to show the same compassion a mother would her own kits." Sablefur tensed herself, awaiting pain. However, warmth and peace of heart washed over her. It was as if the WindClan cat had never felt hatred in her life. She recalled memories with Kestrelstorm and the feelings of happiness when seeing a new face in the nursery grow into a formidable warrior.
Next to appear was her other sibling, Runningheart, who had left WindClan to join SkyClan. She hadn't seen her sister since they became warriors together. Sablefur still felt the warmth of the last life. She couldn't stay mad at her. She missed her too much. "Sablefur, with your sixth life, I give you loyalty. Use it to be faithful to your Clanmates." At the touch of her sister, she felt a rush of determination and will. The shock of a new life came much clearer and easily, now. That was a good thing, right? Sablefur still had trouble standing, having to dig her claws into the grass to keep her from collapsing.
A gray tabby tom with smoky markings was the next to appear. He was unfamiliar, but seemed to be much older in age. Sablefur dipped her head respectfully to the cat. "I, Stormeye, give you wisdom. Understand any complex situation and how to deal with it with the intelligence of all StarClan." Before Sablefur could mew in awe at remembering tales about Stormstar, pain hit her like a rock against her head. This life was far more painful than she thought it'd be. The WindClan she-cat's mind bubbled with a burning fire. She felt feverish and tired. It felt as if a million rogues were clawing at her head all at once.
"With this life, I give you unyielding power. Not even the most powerful force of nature can move you," came another voice. Sablefur's eyes focused to see a silver tabby tomcat with a flayed paw. Was this Twistedfoot, her grandfather that she'd heard many stories about? She stared up at him with pride and wonder as his nose met her forehead. There was a strong rushing feeling, like many winds blowing past her fur, daring to sweep her off her feet. Her aching muscles tensed, and Sablefur found herself pushing against the winds almost effortlessly.
One more life left, the deputy thought, squinting past the gusts of wind. The winds died down, leaving her fur feeling matted and her eyes watery. She shook herself, regaining her vision, and felt surprised at the last cat that was before her. She didn't think she'd see him for her ceremony. Falconstar!
The former WindClan leader was as tall and regal as she remembered. He didn't look sickly or elderly anymore. The tom seemed to shine brighter than green-leaf. "Welcome, Sablefur. You have gone through so much to get this far. I truly made the right choice for deputy." He dipped his head respectfully to her. "And with this life, your ninth and final life, I give you confidence. Be sure of yourself and your Clan. You are the leader of WindClan, and no cat can change your destiny." There was another pain sent through the she-cat's body. It wracked her from head to tail, and she could hardly stand it. Her paws tensed on the ground against her, not allowing her to collapse again from the pain and agony of receiving her lives.
A hush fell through the clearing. The starry cats were silent, staring blankly at Sablefur, who trembled with the power running through her. Falconstar lingered in front of her, head held high. "Sablefur, I hail you by your new name, Sablestar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of WindClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity." He fell back among the rest of the cats and ancestors of WindClan.
The sight of so many loved ones at once and many respectable figures was overwhelming to her. Still, they all chanted her new name in unison. It sounded so different... but she was proud to have this name. She went through several obstacles of hardship just for this moment. She soaked in this memory as long as she could, her brown fur gleaming brightly from the light of the cats around her.
The WindClan cat woke up with a start in the moonlit cave. She was back. Back in the forest. Her heart thudded with amazement, and she longed to go back and see StarClan and its wonders. As she sat up, her muscles screamed with pain, and she hung her head with exhaustion. It would be a long walk back to camp and she would have a nice, long sleep. She quietly crept toward the entrance of the Mothermouth, almost unable to bring herself to push past the narrow walls. She spotted Gorsefeather again, who was sitting obediently under the moon, gazing off at the territories.
She brushed her fur against the medicine cat, nodding for them to leave. She followed his gaze off toward the forest, where she could see WindClan. Her Clan. I'll make WindClan proud, she thought to herself as they both headed off toward the territories. I am Sablestar.
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