Scorchfang’s Leader Ceremony

The past couple moons had been very difficult for Scorchfang. Littlestar’s murder caused by RiverClan warrior and StarClan prophet Lichenmask; the strange and eerie eclipse that cut off all connections with StarClan; and the deaths of so many cats from all five Clans and the Exiles. It was so nice to see life beginning to get back on track once again, though. ShadowClan was currently recovering from all these hardships thanks to his Clanmates, his deputy Froststone, and his medicine cat Morningpaw, whom had been traveling by his side during the duration of the journey to Highstones.

Scorchfang and Morningpaw padded up to the entrance of Mothermouth, and the large tabby tom closed his eyes to take a deep breath and exhale slowly. After everything he had been through in the past few moons, he was finally ready and able to become ShadowClan’s next leader. After tonight, he would no longer be Scorchfang, but Scorchstar. He led the way into the pitch-black cave, easily navigating down the path that he had taken many times over while leading apprentices to visit the Moonstone for their rites of passage. As soon as he entered the familiar large cavern, the giant stone in the back of the room burst into bright, cold light. It was time.

As he padded slowly towards the glowing Moonstone, his mind began reflecting the events of his life. He had been a troublesome kit with a rebellious streak. He still vividly remembered catching his very first frog before he was even an apprentice, and how Minnowcall had joined him on the journey. He had very much disliked her, as he had disliked all mollies, blinded by bias. He was disrespectful to those above him, especially his former mentor Violetshine and Littlestar, who had been the deputy Littlebrook at the time. He treated former medicine cat Honeydrop poorly during her trial for having an illegal love affair. He had bullied and tormented so many kits and apprentices, and he had even gotten into quite a few physical fights with Minnowcall, all of which he initiated.

Then he remembered meeting Sweet -- who was Sweetpaw, then Sweetheart, of RiverClan -- for the first time. She had taught him that all cats were to be cherished, not just toms, not just family, and especially not just himself. Even if he still regretted being her mate due to the outcome of his murderous rogue son Shade, he didn’t regret meeting her. That queen had turned his life completely around. He had learned to respect all cats, regardless of age, rank, or sex. He had made amends with Violetshine for treating her so horribly. He had proven himself worthy of mentoring a young molly Brownpaw, whom he had previously made amends with as well for teasing her as an apprentice.

He had proven himself worthy of becoming ShadowClan’s deputy by Littlestar, when Magpiestar gave up his leader status to retire.

He had made so many friends who would stick by him through thick and thin, and so many decisions that changed his life for the better and helped him grow to be a strong, kind, and loyal cat. He became mates with his only true kithood friend, he now has a best friend in Daisyflame, and he has so many beautiful kits to call his own.

And now, he was to become leader of ShadowClan. Most cats dream of becoming their Clan’s next leader one day, and he was no exception, but he could honestly say now that he had never imagined those dreams would actually become a reality. Those dreams would become his destiny.

He really had come such a long way from when he was a snide, disrespectful little furball. And he still has a long way to go yet to be the best leader ShadowClan had ever seen, even greater than Littlestar, Magpiestar, and all the other leaders right up to the legendary Shadowstar herself. His Clan deserved that.

Scorchfang nestled down in front of the Moonstone, drawing his paws up underneath him to protect his fluffy underbelly from the frigid stone floor that had never felt the heat of the sun. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head forward and touched his nose to the mystical rock’s surface. Instantly, his body froze as lightning bolts of fire and ice zapped through him, making every last hair on his body stand on end. He shut his eyes tight, trying to choke back a yelp. He hadn’t remembered feeling this much pain when he was an apprentice visiting StarClan for the first time during his own Moonstone journey.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the pain to ebb away, and he sensed light shining through his closed eyelids. Opening his vivid orange eyes, he stared in wonder at the row upon row of StarClan cats already assembled before him, greeting him to their realm. He slowly stood up from where he rested on the soft, cool grass, and he saw as all the cats spoke at once, their voices combined into one: ”Welcome, Scorchfang.”

Scorchfang watched in awe as the first cat padded out from the group. He recognized her small figure immediately, having seen her in her living state a few moons ago before she was brutally murdered by Lichenmask. ”L-Littlestar…” he choked out. He had felt so guilty for just standing there and watching helplessly as the RiverClan warrior had stripped her of all nine lives at once. He expected her to try and shift some of the blame onto him for her death, but to her surprise she saw nothing but kindness and compassion in her beautiful blue eyes.

”Welcome, my deputy,” Littlestar meowed. ”I am very proud of how far you had come from your younger days. I always knew I made the right choice appointing you as deputy all those moons ago. And now, I shall initiate the ceremony by granting you your first life.” The former ShadowClan leader lifted up her head, stretching her neck up to touch Scorchfang’s forehead with her muzzle. He had to lower his head for her to be able to reach. ”With this life I give you absoluteness. Use it well to ensure you do what is right for the benefit of our Clan.”

Scorchfang’s breath hitched as he was suddenly filled with even more intense pain akin to touching the Moonstone mere moments ago. He could feel the strength of the life gifted to him seeping into his being, being filled with the determination to protect and strengthen his Clan. The pain ebbed away into a soft, lingering sting as Littlestar lifted her head away and stepped back into the crowd of cats to allow the next cat to approach.

This cat, however, was one Scorchfang did not recognize. He was large and bulky, and his green gaze wasn’t exactly welcoming or even friendly. He wanted to ask this cat of his identity, but something told him he would be speaking out of turn if he tried.

”I am Thrushstripe," the tom introduced himself. ”I was once Thrushstar, reigning as ShadowClan’s leader seasons before your birth.” He seemed to want to cut to the chase, touching his nose to Scorchfang’s forehead, finding a much easier time completing this task than the significantly shorter Littlestar. ”With this life I give you duty. Use it well to keep ShadowClan in tact, and to guide it through any hardships that will be sure to come.”

Once again, the black tabby tom was zapped with a fierce bolt as the life seeped into him. At this point, he was no longer a regular cat with a single life. He now had two, and he had seven more to receive before the night finished.

This time, the next cat to take Thrushstripe’s place was another one he did recognize, though he hadn’t seen her since he was an apprentice. Memories of how awful and rude he was to her resurfaced quite mercilessly, and he was filled with embarrassment and shame when she stopped before him. ”H-Hello, Honeydrop.”

”I know what you want to say, but you needn’t apologize,” the former medicine cat purred kindly. Without saying anything else, she touched her nose to his forehead and began granting him her gift. ”With this life I give you compassion. Use it well to be a fair and kind leader. Granting second chances isn’t always a bad thing.”

Scorchfang tensed up his muscles and shut his eyes tightly, preparing to be engulfed in even more pain, but it never came. Instead, he felt a nice comforting warmth seeping through his fur and bones, and his muscles relaxed. If only all lives could feel pleasant as this.

Honeydrop trilled softly with amusement, almost as if she knew just what was to come next, as she took her place back with the other StarClan cats for yet another familiar cat to take her place. Nettlesting narrowed his eyes as he studied his former tormentor, and he gave a soft snort, but said nothing as he placed his nose on his forehead. ”With this life I give you justice. Use it well to always pursue the truth. You will find in life that some cats just aren’t worthy of second chances.”

After having felt the calming, soothing warmth of his previously received life, Scorchfang was so foolishly unprepared for the sheer impact this one had on him. Even stronger than the others, his body quivered and spazzed with a fiery blaze unlike anything he had felt before. He bit his tongue so hard he thought he’d puncture the skin with his sharp teeth, struggling to choke back a howl at the unexpected trauma. This must be how Nettlesting felt when Gingerstripe had been accused of murdering Honeydrop. He was a very convicted cat, so it made sense that his sense of justice would be as strong and as powerful as a raging inferno. That’s probably what amused Honeydrop so much. She knew I would be unprepared to receive this agonizing life. I wish she could have just told me!

He was reduced to heavy panting when the burning quelled, and Nettlesting backed away with a soft grunt of satisfaction. He turned away to walk back to the others, but Scorchfang acted fast in calling him back. ”N-Nettlesting, wait! I-I wanted to tell you this while you were still alive, but I never got the chance. I’m so sorry for all I have done to you as a kit. I wanted to make amends, but after your sudden disappearance the regrets have been plaguing my mind for so long. I don’t care if you accept my apology or not. I just needed to let you know how sorry I am.” He held his breath as Nettlesting stopped and side-glanced at the large tabby. He didn’t say anything and just resumed walking back to his place. However, Scorchfang noticed the subtle dismissive flick of the tip of his tail. He let out a sigh of relief. He forgives me. Thank you, Nettlesting.

Next up was yet another cat he didn’t recognized, but there was still something very familiar about her all the same. This fluffy black she-cat with amber eyes that glowed as brightly as his seemed to give off a special kind of aura that made him feel safe and secure. He felt the sudden urge to run up to this strange cat that smelled of ShadowClan and press his muzzle into her fur to drink in her warm, milky scent, but he didn’t know why. All of a sudden, it came to him. He stared at the she-cat in amazement. ”Y-You must be Talonfoot. ...My mother.”

Talonfoot purred and tilted her head affectionately as she studied her son. ”My dear Scorchfang. I have been waiting so long to see you again. I was taken away by Twolegs a few sunrises after your birth. I managed to escape, and I was able to reunite with Rowantalon just before I conceived your younger brother. Then I passed.” Her eyes dimmered with sadness for a few heartbeats before brightening up again, sparkling with love and pride. ”I am so proud of you, and it is an honor to bless my beloved firstborn son with this life.” She approached him and rested her muzzle against his forehead, and Scorchfang gave a soft sigh as he subtly nuzzled into her touch, not having felt it ever since he was a newborn. ”With this life I give you hope. Use it well to look on the brighter side of any given situation, and to seek a happy ending.”

The burning-hot lingers of Nettlesting’s life were completely quelled now by yet another rush of warmth and comfort. Scorchfang closed his eyes to absorb every last drop of the comforting feeling, parting his lips to drink in his mother’s sweet scent. His eyes began to pang with the threat of tears. It had been so long since he had last seen his mother -- so long that he had forgotten what she looked like. He was so happy he was able to reunite with her again, if even for just a short while. ”Thank you, Talonfoot. I’ll make you proud, I promise.”

”You already have.” With a final loving smile, Talonfoot retreated back to the other cats.

The next molly that padded up to Scorchfang offered him a happy smile, her green eyes glistening with excitement and pride. Scorchfang recognized her immediately, and a pair of tears fell from either eye down his fluffy gray cheeks. ”B-Brownpaw. I’m so sorry for letting you get killed by that badger. I promised I’d protect you, but…”

Brownpaw shook her head. ”It wasn’t your fault, Scorchfang. Please don’t put unnecessary blame on your shoulders for a tragedy you had no part in playing. That being said… Uh, lower your head, I can’t quite reach.” The brown apprentice reached her head up as far as she could stretch, but was still unable to match her former mentor’s height.

Mewing a quick apology, the tom lowered his head for his first ever apprentice to rest her muzzle against his head. ”With this life I give you acceptance. Use it well, for cats will come and go in every cat’s life, but as life itself moves on, you must do the same. Don’t dwell on the past; instead, look towards a brighter future.”

The pain that shot through him wasn’t nearly as bad as Nettlesting’s. He had learned his lesson the last time and prepared himself for any feelings of fire and ice blasting through his being, so that was probably why it didn’t hurt nearly as bad. It ebbed away rather quickly, and Scorchfang opened his eyes to look down at his beloved first apprentice. He offered her a smile, who returned it, and he watched as she trotted back to make room for the next cat, a dark gray she-cat with a short pelt and a pair of green eyes. Scorchfang hadn’t known her too well while she was alive, despite her being his sister, and he regretted ever taking her for granted with his she-cat-prejudice ways as an apprentice. [color:5db1=ff8000]”H-Hello, Lilacfall.”

”Hello to you, too, Scorchfang,” Lilacfall mewed, her eyes not holding nor hiding any distaste for her brother. She placed her muzzle on his head. ”With this life I give you protection. Use it well to do all that you are able to keep your Clan safe, even at the cost of your life.”

Scorchfang was beginning to grow weary of the now constant back-and-forth between soothing comfort and blazing pain. He softly grunted at the fierce inferno raging through him, yet at the same time he felt his adrenaline spike. That must have been what a queen protecting her kits from the fiercest of enemies felt like. He loved his Clan and his Clanmates very much, not quite akin to a mother loving her kits, but close to it. He had always vowed he would defend and protect his Clan, even at the cost of his life, ever since he first became a warrior.

The burning pain diminished as Lilacfall stepped back to allow a much younger molly, this one with white fur and blue eyes, to approach him. Scorchfang recognized her as well as being his adopted little sister and ShadowClan’s former medicine cat apprentice before Morningpaw. [color:5db1=ff8000]”Silentpaw. Oh, I’ve missed you so much, little sister.”

"I’ve missed you, too, Scorchfang," Silentpaw responded wistfully. "I’m so happy for you. I knew you had what it took to play a grand role in ShadowClan." She reached up to touch her nose to Scorchfang’s head. "With this life I give your courage. Use it well to stand tall for what you believe in. Do not be afraid to do what you feel is right."

Yet another course of pain flashed through him, and he felt his legs beginning to grow weak with all the duress he had been through up to this point. He honestly wasn’t sure if he would be able to take one more life if it felt this harsh, or StarClan forbid one like Nettlesting’s. Thankfully, it was over fairly quickly, and he watched his sister return to her place next to Lilacfall and Talonfoot.

Scorchfang pondered for a brief moment as to which cat would be the last to grant him his final life. His own question was answered for him quickly when he saw an all-too-familiar queen approach him. Her amber eyes glistened with all the love and adoration she had always felt for him, her sleek brown fur, creamy paws and tail-tip, and heart-shaped marking on her chest shimmering with stardust.

It had been so long since he had thought too much about his first love. He still couldn’t say that he had romantic feelings for this cat anymore ever since he moved on, but she still played a significant role in his life -- possibly the most significant out of any other cat. She had taught him to love and to honor and cherish all cats regardless of rank or gender. It was all thanks to this cat that he was able to turn his life around to become the warrior he truly wanted to be. Without her influence, he would not be standing here tonight. ”Sweetheart. It’s been far too long.”

”Hello, Scorchfang,” Sweet purred. ”I… I cannot admit that I have moved on even if you have. Even though I had feelings for Reedclaw, my second mate, my heart always belonged to you, even if yours now belongs to another. Do not feel bad for this, however. Instead, I would like for you to accept your final life from me, a trait that I feel would most suit you, a trait that most others forget they possess.” She pressed her muzzle against his head. ”With this life I give you forgiveness. Use it well to see past a cat’s past misdeeds. Grudges will weigh you down, but forgiveness will set you free.”

This final life seemed to feel the most pleasant, even more than Talonfoot’s. She had lived her life constantly being accused and ridiculed, after all, so it made sense that this would be her life to give. He was a fairly forgiving cat in general as well, which was mostly thanks to the queen granting him his final life. Even if his Clanmates may not agree with his decisions to offer forgiveness for any wrongdoings, he would know in his heart that it would always be the right call.

Sweet lifted her muzzle from Scorchfang’s head once the warmth simmered down to a pleasant tingle throughout his body, and she smiled lovingly at her first mate. ”I love you, Scorchfang, even if you may not love me. Do StarClan proud.”

She backed away, and Littlestar stepped forward once again to face him, smiling as she began the conclusion to his ceremony. ”I hail you by your new name, Scorchstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of ShadowClan. 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.”

”Scorchstar! Scorchstar! Scorchstar!” The entirety of StarClan began to chant the new ShadowClan leader’s name. Scorchstar couldn’t help but grin at the sound of his new name. It just sounded so… right. StarClan was right. He was meant to be ShadowClan’s leader. And it was all because of these nine cats who placed so much faith in him. Littlestar, his former leader and friend; Thrushstripe, one of ShadowClan’s greatest leaders; Honeydrop, the gentle medicine cat who once treated all of ShadowClan as her own; Nettlesting, the voice of reason and bringer of justice; Talonfoot, his mother who proved hope was just as real as life itself; Brownpaw, his first apprenticed who absolutely believed in him; Lilacfall, his older sister who had given her life to her Clan; Silentpaw, his younger sister who was always much more courageous than she believed herself to be; and Sweet, who had led him down the path that had changed his life forever.

Scorchfang was no more. The cat who stood in his place was Scorchstar, and he would protect and defend his Clan until the loss of his final life. No evil or hardships would ever fall upon ShadowClan ever again. Not if he had anything to say about it.