Ivybrook's Leader Ceremony

Stars danced across the sky as Ivybrook made the lone journey to Highstones, a light snowfall drifting quietly across the forest as she walked. Gentle and lithe paws fell on the frozen ground, a rather quick rhythm that was constant and nonstop. Though the world around her was quiet, Ivybrook could hear the oppressive thoughts closing in on her with every step she took towards the Mothermouth. The one thing she’d been sure of in life had suddenly been ripped from beneath her paws, and now she was left to gather the broken pieces and put them back together again. It was a task that she was almost sure she’d be unable to accomplish, something she’d never expected to happen so soon or with such little notice. It was a struggle to keep herself from the painful reminder that she’d never live up to her predecessors, that she’d never even come close to filling in their pawsteps. Torrentstar, despite his short lived yet… eventful leadership, had accomplished peace for RiverClan (up until the end, at least) - something that was desperately needed yet so scarce, so difficult to snag a claw on. Jaystar, while his leadership hadn’t entailed complete peace when it came to other Clans, had led exceptionally well despite the circumstances that life threw at him. Ivystar, her namesake, had accomplished more than she could count on one paw. She’d maintained control of the Sunningrocks, despite ThunderClan’s efforts to take control, made WindClan pay for their abhorrent injustices against her Clan, and so much more.

How could she be expected to live up to that?

Simply put, she couldn’t.

The grass beneath her paws was left with indentions where her paws had been, snow covering the ground in a white blanket as her pace quickened. The thick fur on her pelt would protect her from the cold, but nothing could protect her from what she was about to experience. Slowing to a halt as the Thunderpath stretched before her, she shook out her fur and watched for an opening between monsters, waiting for the perfect moment to dart out to the other side. ’How ironic,’ she thought with a grimace, ’would it be if this were to be it? If I were to meet my end on the journey to receive my lives, beaten by a monster and left to rot next to the Thunderpath.’ Shaking her head, she crossed swiftly and didn’t look back as she continued towards Highstones, making sure not to stray too far into ShadowClan territory. It was nighttime after all, and they’d be out and about. Yet another thing she’d laugh about if the occasion hadn’t been so somber.

Another stretch of land to cover, and more thoughts to fill her head. Torrentstar’s death… It had been so strange. It was clear to everyone who had seen him after his death that he had been attacked- brutally, at that. Yet, when the silver deputy had found him, there wasn’t a single trace of another Clan on his fur nor beyond the normal scent lines at the border itself. If he’d been attacked by a Clan cat, she’d know it for sure. But she couldn’t possibly imagine a rogue, or StarClan forbid, a kittypet attacking him, much less winning. She couldn’t find a single hair out of place on his body, and there wasn’t even the smallest hint of another Clan’s scent on his fur. The death of her predecessor hadn’t truly sunken in yet, but that was something Ivybrook realized… And lamented. She knew as soon as she put one paw inside the leader’s den, everything would come crashing down. It would be absolutely unbearable, just like it had been when Jaystar passed. His smell would still permeate the den, fur that he’d lost over the moons would litter the ground. She would have to move his nest… Oh, StarClan. Shaking her head, she tried to think of something else, anything else, to get her mind off of it.

When the Mothermouth finally came into view, the she-cat stopped for the first time on the entire journey to actually breathe. When she came down from that Mountain, she’d be a different cat entirely. She’d be expected to lead a Clan on her own, to make decisions and rules like she never had before. The utter unpreparedness wasn’t something that surprised her, but scared her nonetheless. Shaking her head, she uttered a brief sigh and continued, resuming the fast pace as she had before. It was only a few moments more until the opening to the Mothermouth stretched out before her, the pitch black staring back at her as she waited. For what, exactly, she wasn’t entirely sure. Without much more thought on the matter, the silver tabby dove into the darkness. Suddenly, it was as if her other senses went into overdrive. She’d already made the journey several times before, so it wasn’t shocking. Pricking her ears and making sure not to stray too far from the path she knew would lead her to the Moonstone, Ivybrook continued into the heart of the mountain. She grimaced when the Moonstone made its appearance, not wanting to go any further. Slowly, she took steps towards it until she was almost touching it, her breath bouncing off of it in the form of fog.

Oh, how ready she was to get this done with. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in her nest, to listen to the sound of her Clanmate’s chests rising and falling back at camp. Another part of her wanted for it not to happen at all, for things to go back to the way they’d been before Thornstar and Torrentstar’s sins had been revealed… At least then, she would have a little more peace of mind than she had now. Another thought wormed its way into her head… What would happen when she woke up? If StarClan refused to speak to the medicine cats themselves, what made her think they’d be willing to give her nine lives? Shaking her head dismissively, she turned her attention back to the matter at paw. There was no choice for her here. She could see her own reflection in its depths, but before she could ponder on it too much more she touched her nose to the stone, eyes fluttering slowly as she gave into the drowsiness that had so suddenly taken her over.

She couldn’t move.

No matter how much she struggled to get to her paws, she could only lay there and writhe. It felt as if life itself were being ripped from within her, parting ways with her soul as she clenched her eyes shut tightly. Every single muscle, every vein within her burned with a fire she’d never experienced before, and she thought for sure that something was wrong. Stars swirled her vision as another torrent of pain washed through her, and she realized with a start that her former life was being torn from her right then and there. After several agonizing moments, the pain subsided and she was able to regain her bearings, albeit slowly.

Ethereal pelts surrounded the she-cat as she slowly opened her eyes, rising to her paws as she gazed at those around her with an odd sense of disdain. She didn’t want to be here at all. It was the last thing she’d wish for, yet here they were… Celebrating. RiverClan had just lost their leader, yet they found it within their pretentious starry behinds to celebrate. Slowly, several of the cats parted ways for a short grey she-cat, and Ivybrook’s features softened instantly, mind torn from the thoughts that formerly filled her head. The little she-cat’s starry golden eyes looked up at her for a moment, and Ivybrook’s eyes began to water. It had been so long since the flood, so long since she’d last seen the Queen that raised her to be who she was today. ”You’ve come a long way, my dear.” It took everything within the future RiverClan leader not to rush towards her, pure delight filling her soul to the brim at the mere sight of the stout, fluffy RiverClanner. Instead, she remained still, her whiskers trembling as they made eye contact. ”I couldn’t be more proud of you. You’ll be an excellent leader, darling.” Her adopted mother’s eyes flickered to her paws for a moment, causing Ivybrook to take a tentative step forward. When the small gray warrior looked back up, she stopped, understanding that there wasn’t an eternity of time to waste. ”It will not be easy, and it’s important that you understand the feelings of your Clanmates. You have a duty to them, you see, and in order to fulfill that duty you must share those feelings. Not only will you need to understand the feelings of those you are expected to lead, but those of the Clans surrounding you as well.” With a nod of her head, Ivybrook acknowledged that she understood what the she-cat was saying. ”With this life, I give you empathy, to better understand the feelings of your Clanmates and to share with them what is most important in this life and in those to come. Use it well, my darling.”

When Finchstream touched her nose to Ivybrook’s, an odd feeling struck her right in the chest, the only way to describe it as something akin to heat. The feeling soon spread throughout her veins in what felt like agonizingly slow moments, and an understanding she’d never felt before came along with it. All the pain and suffering, the happy moments as well as the dreadful ones filled her brain, times of loss and times of joy. It was as if she’d been placed into the paws of her Clanmates, and she was seeing life through their eyes. When the odd pain in her chest subsided, her eyes fluttered open. Instantaneously she felt that same unmistakable dread as she watched her adoptive mother drift back into the line of cats waiting for her, and she murmured a soft ”I love you, before the she-cat disappeared into the crowd once more. She wanted to push her way through the sparkling cats, to relentlessly search for her adoptive mother, but she felt rooted to the ground as she waited for the next cat to approach.

An unfamiliar face parted way from the large group of cats gathered before her, a light orange pelt speckled with stars. A long stripe of brown ran down her back and tail, and starry green eyes stared back at her. ”I know that you haven’t got a clue who I am, Ivybrook, but I must say that you have some pretty big pawsteps to fill. My name is Amberpelt, a former RiverClan warrior.” Nodding her head gently, Amberpelt took a few more steps forward. What she had to share with Ivybrook was something that she truly needed; in the past she’d proven to be a bit more cold-hearted than her two predecessors, but it wasn’t something that couldn’t be amended with time, just as things always proved to be. ”With this life, I give you the gift of generosity. Use it to give your Clanmates the leader that they deserve, not only to guide them but to be there for them in the toughest of times.” Ivybrook nodded and closed her eyes.

’Prepare yourself.’

As soon as Amberpelt’s muzzle rested upon Ivybrook’s head, her heart swelled and felt like it was near to bursting. Adrenaline reverberated throughout her entire body, a grimace of pain displayed clearly on her face as she struggled to remain upright. To think that a cat she didn’t even know could bestow such an honor on Ivybrook’s shoulders… She wondered for a moment what Amberpelt must have meant to her Clan, the amazing things she had to have done. How she was even able to form coherent thoughts was completely beyond her, but as the pain slowly subsided, she opened her eyes to the sea of stars waiting before her. Amberpelt had already rejoined her ancestors, lost among the crowd of cats. Ivybrook didn’t bother searching for her, knowing for sure that any attempt would be futile after her fruitless pursuit for Finchstream. After a moment of quiet whispering among the StarClan cats, they divided to show a clear path, leading directly to the familiar grey pelt that she’d missed so dearly over the past moons.

Everything within her was screaming at her to run to his side, to bowl him over and hold him closer than she ever had before. Before she knew what it was like without him, before the empty hole inside her chest that came when the void he used to fill arrived. She tried to run towards him, to dive between the ocean of cats between them. The only thing holding her back was StarClan itself- her paws were rooted to the ground and she couldn’t move a muscle, despite her greatest efforts. She waited as he made his way towards her, an agonizingly slow trot to her side. It was almost as if he was moving in slow motion, each pawstep an eternity longer than the last. ”D-Dad, I… How d-d-do I…” A sob managed to escape her maw as tears welled up in her eyes, yet not quite spilling over onto her cheeks. The silver tom’s gaze softened as he approached, stopping right in front of her. ”Ivybrook… I am so very proud.” The sound of his voice silenced any lingering chatter among the ancestors, and if they weren’t already, all eyes were on the two of them.

”My dear kit, you have come so far. Your mother and I couldn’t be more proud.” The former RiverClan leader gestured behind him with a flick of his tail, to an area filled with thick, grey fog. Just beyond StarClan’s boundaries, if she narrowed her eyes, Ivybrook could make out the faint yellow shape of a cat… One who she assumed to be her mother, Goldeneye. Could it be… The she-cat hadn’t made it to StarClan’s ranks? No… That wasn’t right, it just couldn’t be. Her thoughts were promptly interrupted by the sound of her father’s voice booming before her again, and she shifted her gaze to meet his emerald green eyes, identical to her own. She could wonder later.

”I am not here to give you the life that you might have suspected; forgiveness is something that you have learned to give because of my many mistakes, you do not need me to give it to you now. Instead, I give you the life of certainty. As a leader, your Clanmates will rely on you to make the right decisions- the fate of RiverClan is in your paws, my child. Use this life to be confident in your actions and in yourself, to never stray from what you believe is right for the entirety of your Clan.” The large tom smiled gently, looking at his daughter with pride. Ivybrook’s eyes were filled with sadness, feelings of dread and loss that she’d buried away for moons resurfacing. ”This is not a sad occasion, Ivybrook.” Jaystar’s voice was stern and clear, and he inched forward until their noses touched. ”Torrentstar’s passing is sad, indeed, but you have a Clan to lead. Lift your chin, steady your shoulders. You’ll be an excellent leader.” The tremor of life flowed from Jaystar to Ivybrook, her paws shaking as the new life settled within her soul. Sudden understanding came along with it; the dread that she carried as a deputy had vanished. The moons that she spent believing that Torrentstar had chosen the wrong cat to be his deputy were long gone, and a new confidence was born within her. As the pain slowly fizzled, she lifted her head to meet her father’s eyes one last time. She raised her head so that they were at eye level, blinking away the last of the tears and nodding gratefully. ”I love you, dad.” With a gentle smile, Jaystar turned away and melted back into the line of cats waiting to give Ivybrook the rest of her lives.

The next ethereal pelt to come forth wasn’t a familiar one, but the distinct smell of herbs and berries along with paws stained with moons of experience with herbs indicated that the cat before her must have been a medicine cat. An unhappy one, at that. Whoever this cat was before her wore a scowl on her face, and clearly wasn’t entirely happy to be there. ”You’re just like your grandmother, and the filth that came after her. Disgusting.” Her voice was abrupt, her words curt and rather unceremonious. ”You’re the kit of an illegal pairing, who somehow scrambled her way up the ranks to leadership. It’s ridiculous, really. If I had more say you’d sink to the rank of a mere apprentice, if that.” The she-cat circled around Ivybrook, stopping in front of her. Ivybrook narrowed her eyes simply, gazing into those of the former medicine cat. ”And why is it that you don’t?” Ivybrook stood tall, her voice monotonous. She’d fully expected at least some form of backlash, given her parentage. This hadn’t come as a surprise to her. ”Supposedly you have proven your loyalty. If I find out that you have so much as thought about betraying our Clan, prepare yourself to spend an eternity in the Dark Forest.” Ivybrook simply dipped her head, acknowledging the she-cat’s threat. Without any forewarning, Sparrowleaf pushed her head into Ivybrook’s, pain lancing throughout her body at the harsh touch. She didn’t know it, but her grandmother had gone through the same thing during her own ceremony. It must have been symbolic. ”With this life, I give you honor. Honor your Clan and its members, and follow the code closely, because your life does depend on it. Do not let me down.” Ivybrook was blinded by the pain, raw and agonizing. Without a doubt, she knew that this was the pain that she would endure if she were disloyal to her Clan.

When Ivybrook finally managed to open her eyes again, the small form of a starry calico stood waiting for her. Though her legs were still weak from her last encounter, she wanted nothing more to step forward and nuzzle the little she-cat affectionately. But as soon as she tried to take a step forward her legs gave way, and she was met with the guidance of Shellwater to keep her standing. She could recognize the softness in her eyes immediately, the warmth of her gaze and touch settling over the deputy’s body. ”Shellwater,” After such an unpleasant meeting with the giver of her previous life, Ivybrook was glad to see the petite former RiverClanner that she’d met once before, at her Moonstone journey. ”I didn’t expect to see you again so soon, Ivybrook. But you’re here nonetheless, and this time I have more to give than just knowledge.” Instinctively, the future leader dipped her head so that the smaller she-cat could easily touch her nose to her forehead. This time, the feeling wasn’t painful so much as… strengthening. Soothing. ”With this life, I give you love. Use it to nurture your Clanmates, and to guide them into prosperity. You’ll need it with what comes next.” Ivybrook could feel her heartbeat quickening with every second, an odd feeling that she couldn’t quite snag a claw on settling inside of her. She sat up to her full height, nodding in thanks to Shellwater for the life bestowed upon her. What came next surprised her.

An old, scruffy tabby tom came forward, a harsh scowl plastered onto his face as he came to an abrupt stop not even a tail length away from Ivybrook. She could tell he was not happy with her presence. “Rather bold of you to make an appearance here.” Holding back a mixture of anger and spite, Ivybrook simply responded, ”And why is that?” It took a great measure of self restraint to keep her ears from pinning to her skull, and her whiskers would twitch every so often. “Your blood is tainted with sin, you know that just as well as I,” The silver she-cat was about to speak out when he continued, cutting her off before she even began. “Nevertheless, I have a duty, and I will carry it out no matter how… impure you are.” The way he said it with such utter disgust sent a wave of anger through the soon-to-be leader’s entire body, her claws itching to unsheathe. A low growl began to build within Ivybrook’s chest as she narrowed her eyes, glaring at the tom all while nearly sweating from the effort of keeping her words to herself. “With this life, I give you justice. Use it to ensure that your Clanmates get the fair and honest treatment that they need, to see through eyes that are familiar with the code. Use it to do better than your predecessor ever could.”

The scruffy tom took a step forward, and Ivybrook wanted to step backwards, but she stopped herself and simply glared at him as he approached. “And don’t let that filthy blood of yours get in the way of your duties, or I will personally see to it that you never see the light of day.” Again, Ivybrook simply stared him down as he harshly pressed his nose against her own, the tremor flowing from his own body to hers as she was granted yet another life. This was a painful one, one that nearly sent her to the ground. Her eyes were clenched tight from the pain, a myriad of colors appearing before her in an array of patterns, flashing on and off before it simply went dark. She opened her eyes slowly, the brightness sending small shoots of pain back into her head. When she realized who had come to stand before her, though, she was overcome with… Shock. He wasn’t supposed to be here.

”Sparkfrost…? I… What are you…?” Her ears turned quizzically towards the tom, her face knit with hints of shock and bewilderment. She’d known full well that her brother had run off to somewhere far away from the forest- perhaps captured by twolegs, she’d never known. But she’d never thought that he’d died… the thought had just never crossed her mind. Her jaw hung open as he approached her with a broad grin plastered onto her face. “Heya, sis.” In an attempt to match the tom’s optimistic tone, she plastered a half-hearted smile on her face that didn’t quite mask the disappointment at the knowledge that he’d died. “I’m here to give you the life of joy. On rainy days, lean on it to support you, even at the darkest of times.” With a gentle smile, he laid his chin on top of the soon-to-be leader’s, and immediately a soothing feeling ebbed and flowed from his touch. It caressed all the spots that still hurt too much to think about, sending a feeling of warmth over the entirety of her body. She didn’t want to break away from his touch, but as he moved backwards she smiled faintly, locking eyes with her beloved brother. “Love ya, lil sis.” Her heart warmed at the sentiment, and a slight sense of sadness overcame her as he parted ways.

A strong, powerful figure parted ways from the sea of stars as Sparkfrost made his way back, merging with the crowd. She knew almost immediately who the she-cat was, for they looked identical in nearly every aspect, and even shared the same name. She’d never met the she-cat before, but the air of confidence she held as she approached confirmed her identity: this she-cat was Ivystar, her namesake and her grandmother. She’d led RiverClan during a time of great prosperity, and her movements commanded respect. Ivybrook stood in awe as the regal tabby came to a stop in front of her, tail twitching as she settled before her. ”Trying times these are, my child.” Ivybrook simply nodded at Ivystar’s words, not entirely sure what to say to her.

”No sense in delaying things. With this life I present to you strength; the ability to carry on when you believe yourself to be unable- the strength to see the needs of your Clan as a whole over that of your own or those that you love.” Ivybrook nodded her head once again, keeping her gaze trained on her grandmother as she stepped forward and rested her chin on the silver she-cat’s head. At the mere touch of her grandmother, she felt empowered; like she could overcome the most arduous of tasks that life threw at her. She felt like climbing mountains; like she was standing on top of the world.

The feeling slowly ebbed away as Ivystar morphed back into the crowd, her feathered tail the last thing that Ivybrook saw before a new figure formed before her, stars glittering through the tom’s pelt as she glared at him. ”What happened to you?” She nearly hissed at him, vehemently staring him down as he sauntered toward her. ”You weren’t supposed to… supposed to… to die.” Ivybrook could hardly tell herself if she was angry, upset, or relieved to see Torrentstar standing before her. Of course, she would’ve preferred to meet him alive, but that clearly wasn’t an option. Now, she wanted answers. As he simply sat and stared at her, her skin began to boil as she got flustered, whiskers twitching as the annoyance grew. ”Well, Torrentstar? Care to explain?” She’d more or less done her grieving for the tom; she wanted to know exactly what had happened, and more importantly- why? The tabby furred tom caught her attention with a slight grunt, chest fur puffed as he sat down and curled his tail over his paws. ”I got what was due to me. That is all you must know.” Ivybrook grew furious at his statement, wondering what could have happened that was so horrible, so vile, that he couldn’t tell his own deputy about it. But then again, she thought bitterly, he’d made it a habit of not telling her things these days.

Grumpily, she gazed at him with a hint of contempt. ”Get on with it, then.” She muttered, feathery tail lashing as she spoke. He simply nodded, stepping forward to give the life of his choice. ”Ivybrook, I give you the life of clarity of mind. Do not let your decision be ruled by pure emotion- feelings can and will cloud your judgement.See through the fog. Do not let it get the better of you.” Along with the gentle weight of Torrentstar’s chin against her forehead, Ivybrook could feel the life sinking in; fusing itself to her very soul as she stood with her eyes shut tight, bearing the slight, stinging pain in her heart.

When she opened her eyes, she was in an entirely different place. The starry landscape around her indicated that she was indeed still in StarClan, but now she was surrounded by a fine mist, and it had grown to become night time in the land of the Stars. She looked around quietly, getting to her paws and pacing back and forth as she looked for a sign, anything that might tell her what was going on. She stopped as she saw the faint shadow of a fluffy she-cat darkening, stars cascading down her pelt as the foreign she-cat took full form in front of her. For a moment she simply observed the cat before her; webbed paws indicated that she was at least of RiverClan descent, and her regality and poise caused Ivybrook to infer that she’d held some position of power- deputy, perhaps leader. She sat down as the she-cat circled around her slowly, finally coming to a stop less than a fox-length away. ”RiverClan’s time for sin has long passed. A new dawn has awakened; your Clan has been purified of misdeed and unrighteousness. Protect it, keep it clean from the depravity that your predecessors brought forth. It is up to you to decide the future of your Clan.”

Ivybrook tilted her head slightly at the she-cat; she understood fully what she was saying- except for one thing. Her Clan had been purified? What in Fishstar’s name was that supposed to mean?

”I hail you by your new name. Ivystar, your old life is no more. You’ve received the nine lives of the leader that you are, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of RiverClan in your turn. Defend it well; care for the young and old; honor your ancestors and especially the traditions of the Warrior Code; live each life with pride and dignity. Protect the divinity and sanctity of your Clan at all costs; the Warrior Code is your key.” With her last few words the starry forms of four more leaders approached, the distinct outlines of their bodies proving that they had each led one of the five Clans. The power of her nine lives pulsated through her veins, the sheer force of them pushing their way through her soul nearly enough to knock her to her paws. She could hear the distinct sound of the five leader’s voices meshing together chanting her new name, all while the stars grew in size and strength, forcing her to close her eyes lest they leave her blinded.

When she finally began to slip back into reality, Ivystar could feel each of her limbs slowly regain feeling, her tail tip twitching as the numbness of sleep quickly faded. Once she’d regained full consciousness, she took a brief moment to shake out her pelt, pondering what the starry former RiverClan leader had said to her. She wondered for a moment if what she’d said had to do with Torrentstar’s death- she’d seemed to have an obsession with the code, but the silver she-cat couldn’t crack the code that had been laid out before her. When she got back to camp she’d see if Mistleshine was feeling up to a chat- perhaps the words of her medicine cat could guide her. Fluffing up her fur against the cold, Ivystar ducked out of the cave and into the darkness once again, prepared to lead her Clan into greatness.

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A huge thank you to the following RPers for letting me use their characters in this ceremony! <3
RainyHeart - Finchstream - Empathy
Honey Badger - Amberpelt - Generosity
JayBird - Jaystar - Certainty
Sleepy - Sparrowleaf - Honor
Ash - Shellwater -Love
Caysuna - Brackenstar -Justice
Ripped - Sparkfrost - Joy
Pikachu - Ivystar - Strength
Transient - Torrentstar - Clarity of Mind