Leopardsun's Leader Ceremony

Leopardsun closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and prepared to leave herself behind. It didn’t matter anymore, none of it had mattered in so long; Leopardsun was dead in every way that mattered and she had been for some time.

ShadowClan didn’t need her, a warrior who only knew how to make mistakes. They needed a leader, someone who could bend without breaking.

Someone who could bring them peace.

It was that thought, and no other, that gave her the strength to tread the well-worn path through Highstones. Face to face with the cavern of Mothermouth, the one that most warriors visited once in their lives.

She had been made a warrior under the reign of the Dark Forest, no chance to commune with the stars, not that she had ever wanted to. When they had lived here, when Sablestrike had suggested she go and speak with them in Nightstar’s absence, she had been so, so relieved when Pineblossom shut him down.

She had known, on some level, that being leader meant giving up herself. It meant becoming something and someone else. Something unfamiliar, until she couldn’t recognize her face in her reflection.

She had thought she’d made her peace with that, but…

Everything was screaming at her to turn and run, to vanish in the night and never let herself be seen again. Let them save themselves; they were better off without her—weren’t they?

What good had she ever done for ShadowClan?

But she had made an oath—and another, and another. Promises broken and promises kept, all of them promises nonetheless.

She felt every singular strand of fur screaming at her to walk away, and steeled herself.

Leopardsun, for all her faults and all her failures, didn’t turn tail and run from a challenge. She stood tall, faced her fate, and chose to carry the consequences.

She had vowed, once upon a time, to serve ShadowClan until her last breath—

That was the oath of a deputy, the oath of a leader; the responsibility she had chosen to bear because it was as much honor as it was sacrifice.

(Never mind that she never had a choice.)

She closed her eyes, bid herself farewell for one last time, and stepped into the cavern; the darkness swallowed her whole, and in some sense it familiar and almost welcoming, a sense she was sad to leave behind when she emerged into light.

The moon shone down on a brilliant stone, illuminating the entirety of the cavern. She could see why this place was so sacred; such beauty had to have some power, at least in the eyes of the faithful.

But she wasn’t awed by it the way she might have been, once upon a time.

Slowly, she touched her nose to the stone, letting sleep call to her.

Her last waking thought was that she wasn’t entirely certain if she would ever wake up, and then the world went dark once more.

When she opened her eyes again, it was to a starlit landscape, tall grass and wildflowers amidst shallow water. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t her marsh, everything feeling just a little strange and out of place.

She hardly had a moment to acquaint herself with that starlit scene, though, before something unexpectedly collided with her; knocking her to the ground—she knew the stars were solid, knew they were cruel, but surely this was unnecessary?

The figure in question was a massive black tabby, her brilliant orange eyes shining with unabashed curiosity.

“You don’t know me,” the cat who had crashed into her spoke, voice radiating joy in a way that felt strange for any dead cat to do. “But I know you, Leopardsun.”

“That’s not…”

Possible, she thought—but the stars were always watching, weren’t they?

My name, she considered—but it was, just until this was over, wasn’t it?

“My name is Mothglow. Seasons before your time, I was once ShadowClan’s medicine cat, but that’s not important now. I see you, trying to destroy yourself… You feel like you’re alone. I promise that you’re not. Life is full of tragedy, relationships that break beyond beyond repair… You can’t fix everything, but you know you have to try. And you know that sometimes you’re going to fail.”

“I already failed,” she spoke, shaking her head. “I’ve lost everything.”

“It might feel like the world is ending,” Mothglow continued, though not without sympathy. “But it always starts again, doesn’t it? The sun still rises every day, and you have to be ready to meet it. You realize there are things you can’t change, and you fight for them anyway.”

“I made a choice, and that choice got innocent cats killed. The only cat who would meet my gaze afterward is dead now, too, and it’s all my fault! If I hadn’t—”

“Please understand, you can’t drown yourself in guilt over what’s already happened. You can’t live your life in a shadow of grief. With this life, Leopardsun, I give you peace—that you may accept the past you can’t change, and find it in yourself to face a future that hasn’t been decided yet.”

The former medicine cat touched her nose to hers, and Leopardsun felt a sense of comfort and acceptance wash over her—it was warm, and somehow soft, and a very large part of her had thought that this would hurt and was surprised to find that it didn’t—and she didn’t know what she had expected, but it certainly wasn’t this.

A warm, affectionate gaze met her own; with a few final parting words to share:

“Maybe you’ve made mistakes, but your story isn’t over. And you’re the only one who can decide how it ends.”

Having said her piece, Mothglow disappeared into the crowd of gathered cats, just one starlit pelt in what seemed like a sea of them.

Flutterpetal hadn’t been expecting to die that day. He hadn’t been expecting to die in a way that caused three others, including his own beloved brother, to follow him. He hadn’t expected his name to be yowled out in a Gathering as a byword, causing two leaders to attack each other and then step down. And he most certainly hadn’t expected to be giving a life to ShadowClan’s new leader. And yet... here he was. Fate thought it was funny sometimes.

The small black tom stepped forward. His soft fur was studded with bright, glowing stars, and his light green eyes were thoughtful as they regarded Leopardsun. Then—as he normally had, though she had never seen him do it before—he smiled. ”Hey. I don’t know if you remember me. It was a little dark, and I never got to formally meet you. But I’m Honeylight’s friend, and Adderdawn’s brother. The one who Batswarm killed. My name’s Flutterpetal.” It felt odd to list all those things, especially to the she-cat who had caused them. Leopardsun had commanded the war, he’d learned. She’d gotten him killed. It had technically been her fault. But he didn’t really feel any malice.

He probably should have.

But maybe that was why he was here.

”The tensions between WindClan and ShadowClan were high,” Flutterpetal told her, blinking slowly. His voice was quiet and matter-of-fact, carrying neither warmth nor chill. ”You saw war as inevitable, and decided to strike first. Was it inevitable? I don’t know. Either way, you made the decision you did. Shrikestar and Batsong were in the wrong. But wasn’t ShadowClan also in the wrong? Would unsheathing claws really solve the problem?” He shrugged. He had opinions on those, but this wasn’t the time for opinions. ”The thing is, it doesn’t really matter. I can sit here and say who I thought was right or wrong, but it wouldn’t change anything. Everyone suffered. And with the choice to go to war, that suffering was made worse. For everyone.”

He glanced behind him at the many others who dwelt in the stars. Honeylight was here, he knew. And Adderdawn was likely watching... somewhere. He would be far better at holding a grudge. Lots of deaths, and several caused directly by the feud between the Clans. Could any of them have been avoided? Flutterpetal moved his gaze back to Leopardsun. He spoke kindly, but firmly. ”When you are leader, these decisions will not get easier. They will only come with more frequency and even less warning. You need to know that the judgments you render will hold the lives of many other cats in your paws. You decide between life and death. Not directly, but your choices may lead to pain and suffering. They may lead to lost sons and daughters, bereaved friends, and grieving mates. This is your prerogative.”

Flutterpetal stepped closer. His green eyes carried a wisdom and solemnity that he had never quite owned in life. Finally being able to see beyond the stars had granted him an understanding that had been unreachable while he still ran below the skies. ”That is why I give you this life for mercy. Realize that your decisions, made even to the best of your ability, might and will cause harm to other cats. Realize that behind every crazed leader or foolish medicine cat is a Clan of well-meaning warriors, innocent apprentices, and tired families who want nothing to do with their arguments. Remember that yours is the choice of whether they live or die. Every time that your pride takes hold of you, take a step back and remember the faces of all those who will die—the faces of all those who already have died—because of the need to satisfy your ego. Remember, and when you make a decision, let mercy guide your paws. Let it temper your words and soften your anger. Let it remind you, Leopardsun, that all the blood shed by your command will cry up from the ground against you when you come to meet me again.”

The WindClan warrior leaned forward, touching his nose to Leopardsun’s. Though the movement was soft, the pressure that met her was firm, and with it came a flood of images that barraged her mind. Claws tearing through a brown tom’s body, gutting him from neck to belly. Blood spraying across a field. A lanky white cat huddled over a small pile of flowers, thin frame racked with sobs. A cold, empty nest. Alongside the quickly-flashing pictures came accompanying sensations. The feeling of her throat being torn out, unable to breathe, choking on her own blood. The scent of death, decay, putrid, filling her nose completely. Grief—a familiar grief, yet compounded for every death she’d witnessed—seizing her heart, almost stopping it, making a deep despair wash over every one of her senses. These came swiftly one after the other, passing as quickly as they came, but they all felt so vividly real that they left Leopardsun aching by the time they had passed.

Flutterpetal stepped back, allowing Leopardsun a moment to breathe. It was difficult. There would never be any right answer. Someone would suffer either way. Yet, as someone who had lost his life to a needless conflict... he knew that it was what he had to bestow. She needed to understand. Hopefully, she would remember.

Once she had gotten enough breath to raise her head again, Flutterpetal met her eyes. Then he smiled. Finally there was a warmth behind it, and a genuine, uncompromising friendliness that reminded her of Honeylight. ”It’s impossible to avoid pain completely in this life. You can’t avoid it for yourself, and you can’t avoid it for others. But if you can just do your best to mitigate it wherever possible, then I believe there will be many more peaceful nights for ShadowClan.” He dipped his head to her in a gesture of respect. ”Good luck.” And with that, he was gone.

“I’m sorry,” Leopardsun spoke, though the words came seconds too late.

He was already gone.

A dark-furred tom silently stepped from the crowd, starlight flickering within black and silver fur. Dark blue eyes regarded the soon-to-be leader for a moment, and the tom let out a weary sigh. "When I gave Nightstalker the life of perseverance, I didn’t realize it’d be for everyone else who had the misfortune of putting up with his decision making." He rasped, a hint of dark humor flickering in his gaze. The cat standing before him had certainly persevered through a lot. From the dark forest to Nightstalker to losing her kits. "You couldn’t have stopped him. He was always stubborn. But you’ll have your work cut out trying to separate yourself from all the mess. Focus on the living, focus on what matters." He wasn’t here to give her pretty words, but he would be honest with her.

"With this life I give you strength." Mistyfalcon pressed forward, touching his nose to Leopardsun’s. "Strength takes many forms, Leopardsun, not just the physical. The strength to keep going, the strength to make the difficult decisions and do what’s best for the clan. Use it to protect your clan and your family." The scarred tom pulled back, dark gaze meeting Leopardsun’s. "Lead them well, Leopardsun." With a small dip of his head, Mistyfalcon turned and slipped away.

“...I’ll do all that I can.”

What more was there to say?

Stepping forward next was a large monochrome tom—a mane of light gray fur spiked around his neck. The only bit of color on him was the scars that sliced across one of his eyes and a jagged, deep scar stretching down one of his forelegs and his bright yellow eyes. The tom’s expression was almost a simple bored look as he stared at Leopardsun, a silence stretching between the two for a number of heartbeats before a sigh escaped him.

“...Greetings. I am Flintshard—once Flintstar, I was the leader before Murkystar before I stepped down due to an injury,” he meowed, his whiskers twitching at the mention of the name. There would forever be bitterness for what had happened to his successor in the name of StarClan. His expression however didn’t change other than a flicker of his ear before he continued on quickly. “When I was living, I was notable for my lack of understanding of…Emotions. I did not feel them as keenly—I did not understand them. Even now, they elude me…But as a leader, such thinking was a strength—as recent times will reveal why,” he meowed, eyes narrowing ever as he took a step forward.

“ShadowClan has lost its way under the leadership of cats who did not think before they acted. Cats who went with their heart, with what seemed like the obvious solution without a thought for any other option. You are no stranger to this, Leopardsun—you are a cat who is ruled by their heart.” He titled his head, tail lashing once but his expression remained unmoving—bored. “Be a better leader than Nightstalker turned out to be—prove your worth to your Clan, earn back their trust—and so I give you this life of restraint.

“If a cat slights you, you must hold back your instinct to lash out. If a cat commits a wrong, you must not judge without taking stock of the depth of the situation. A leader is expected to be rational, to hold back when needed for the betterness of their Clan. You have already learned the price you may—will—pay if you do not heed my warning. It is not an easy lesson to accept, which is why it is all the more important to embrace it.”

With that, he touched noses with Leopardsun—though his touch was not one of warmth, but of chilling ice. It lashed out, a bitter freeze that made it hard to breathe. A cold that only brought pain as it locked up the body before finally it started to thaw into a blissful warmth after it had outlived its stay. With the warmth returned, Flintshard stepped back with another tilt of his head. “Logic may be seen as cold, but it's better than the flame of anger that reduces a cat’s rational to ash. Remember this, Leopardsun, and finally ShadowClan will have a worthy leader again.”

With that, he turned and padded off—giving his pelt a shake with a huff, relieved to be done with his part of the ceremony.

Leopardsun recalled an elder by the name of Flintshard, though not much more than that. He hadn’t been around very long—she was pretty sure he had passed sometime before her apprentice ceremony—but Thalia had spoken of him fondly, on the rare occasion that the name came up in conversation.

Be a better leader than Nightstalker turned out to be.

All she could do was try.

“I will strive to be worthy of my place,” she promised. Though they were only words, they felt somehow binding; it was a good thing, then, that they were words she meant to keep.

As Flintstar stepped away, a slender she-cat padded forward. The snow-white she-cat’s eyes were filled with warmth and love as she greeted her only daughter that still walked the realm of the living. “Leopardsun, how much you’ve grown,” Deerleap purred. She had been watching over the spotted tabby since the night she joined StarClan all those moons ago, following her daughter through thick and thin. Leopardsun had met challenge after challenge, loss after loss, and yet she was here, ready to receive her fifth life as a leader. She had more worth than she had ever realized… in a way, Leopardsun took after herself a little more than she had expected. Deerleap had never had much confidence in herself when she was still alive, and that caused her to dwell too long on things she should have let go ages ago.

Deerleap leaned forward to gently touch her nose to Leopardsun’s. “With this life, I give you confidence. Your clanmates need you to lead them forward, to show them the way, and you can’t do that if you’re always questioning yourself. You have more talent than you realize, Leopardsun,” Deerleap mewed, eyes filled with warmth as she stepped back to look at her daughter one last time. “I”ve always been watching over you, even when you think the Stars have never been further away. When your time comes, I will be here waiting for you,” She promised. The path ahead for her daughter would be difficult, and it would be a struggle for Leopardsun to regain the trust of her clanmates, but she had no doubts that Leopardsun would rise up to the challenge.

To see her mother again, walking amidst the very same stars that had stolen her away… Yes, she had gone by choice, but still Leopardsun had been left alone; left to look after Vixenpaw (and oh, it haunted her, how she had failed in what should have been an easy task) and lean on what little family she had left (Froststar’s death weighed heavily on her even now, so far removed from all that had caused it; and Snowfoot’s brush with memory loss was a much more recent wound, albeit one that had healed more thoroughly with time).

“...Thanks, mom,” she said simply. Trying to memorize every detail. “I’ve missed you. So much.”

Sootwhisker was the next to step forward, the tom’s warm yellow eyes filled with pride as he looked at his adopted daughter. It felt like just yesterday she had been no more than a tiny kit, having lost her birth parents in much the same way Sootwhisker had been abandoned by his own; though hers hadn’t left her of their own free will. He had seen himself reflected in her, and while he would have been proud no matter what path she had chosen for her life, he could barely contain his joy to see her go on to lead her clan.

“Leopardsun,” He began, his deep voice a rumbling purr, “I couldn’t be more proud of the cat you’ve become, and I know you will lead ShadowClan well. The life I give you is for loyalty. Use it to guide your decisions as leader, to protect and stand beside your clanmates, even when times are difficult.” He stepped forward, gently pressing his nose to Leopardsun’s. It pained him to see her suffer, even for something as awe-inspiring as the giving of a life, but he knew she would be a stronger leader because of it.

“Remember, no matter what happens, Deerleap and I will be watching and supporting you from StarClan. If ever you should doubt your skills, remember all that you’ve been through and survived, and know that you have the strength to lead your clan through anything.” With that, he turned and stepped away, rejoining his mate in the crowd of starry pelts.

There were so many words on the tip of her tongue. How could he be proud, after all that she’d done to the Clan she claimed to love? How could she be standing here before the cold, uncaring stars of her memory; which had shown her nothing but kindness and grace she had never dared believe in?

There was some trick to it, wasn’t there? Some other price to pay. She only hoped she would learn what it was before this was over.

“I wish you were still with me,” she whispered, though he had already turned away. “I know you still are, but… It isn’t the same.”

Batglow watched as cat after cat stepped up to the new leader, patiently waiting his turn. He never really had the chance to interact with Leopardsun, but he knew on the inside she was a good cat, of course everyone had a few flaws. He just hoped that the upcoming leader would work through her issues and do the best for ShadowClan, and maybe work things out with his son.

One by one, each cat stepped up to give a life, yellow-green eyes watched as familiar cats and unfamiliar cats alike gave their own lives. So far… Peace, Mercy, Strength, Restraint, Confidence, and Loyalty. All good attributes, he wished that some of those had worked on the former leader, but it was a bit too late for that now. Maybe... Maybe in his time as a warrior things could change.

As soon as Sootwhisker stepped back, Batglow pulled himself to his paws and approached the she-cat. Yellow-green eyes shining with kindness. ”Hello Leopardsun. I don’t know if you remember me... I was very briefly alive when you were born, but quickly succumbed to infection shortly after.” The black tom explained. ”I am also Echomist’s father.” He was sure the matching fangs the two shared was a dead give away. ”Just give him some time... He will come around. I promise.” He hoped that time would fix their relationship. He knew Echomist needed Leopardsun by his side, otherwise things could go wrong…

”Anyway, onto the real reason you are here. With this life, I give you hope. Hope that eventually all things will come back to light. Hope that everything will work out. Hope that even when everything seems dark, and dead, the smallest sign of life will bloom shortly after.” After bestowing his life on the she-cat, Batglow stepped back. ”Everything will work out Leopardsun. Sometimes, time is all you need.” With that the tom turned away to rejoin the others in the line.

So this was Echomist’s father. She knew his name, though any memory of the cat before her was vague and distant now. Leopardsun could see some resemblance, but wondered at his kindness; even more so when he assured her that her estranged mate would come around eventually. She supposed that she could only hope that the older tom was right about that.

She loved Echomist, and she was pretty sure that somewhere underneath all that had gone wrong he still loved her, but she knew all too well that just love on its own wasn’t enough to salvage anything at all.

“I hope you’re right,” she murmured as he turned away. “I really do.”

Next a small, completely white form came forward, his brilliantly blue eyes looking at Leopardsun with a mixture of pride, and of duty. Froststar had never been one to show his emotions completely, but it was harder to hide them when every experience made him older and wiser, even after his death. "Leopardsun. It is good to see you." It was strange to see the cat he had mentored so long ago grow into his former position. It was harder to know that, despite his best intentions when appointing Nightstalker to his position, she and the rest of his clan had endured hardship because of that decision. "I remember when you had just become my apprentice. You caught your first piece of real prey in front of me. Now you are about to be the leader of our clan."

His voice had remained characteristically monotone, until, at least, he spoke about Nightstalker. "I am sorry that the deputy I appointed, the leader I chose, gave you and ShadowClan hardship. His sins are in part due to my putting him in a position of power, and so I bear them as well. I... hope that someday, you find it in your heart to forgive me." A soft frown was planted on the tom's face, but was quickly removed as he readied himself for what Leopardsun was really waiting for.

"I will be giving you the life of acceptance. In my life I would never turn away a cat in need, no matter their origins, no matter where they had come from. In the ShadowClan I made, everyone was welcome. I give to you some of that. Not everyone need be welcome in your ShadowClan, but remember that no cat is born a villain, or an enemy. They have lives just like you or I, and remembering that can help bring not only peace, but understanding." Reaching out his neck, Froststar pressed his nose to Leopardsun's, shutting his eyes. He did not enjoy seeing the pain a new life brought, and he did not enjoy remembering how it had felt for him, either.

"I want to believe you will be a good leader, Leopardsun. Do not prove me wrong." Turning, the white-furred tom padded away, back into the throng of cats giving lives. He would watch, and wait, until she had received all her lives. Then he would try to be the loudest cry of her new name in the crowd.

Leopardsun still put very little of her faith in the dead. She didn’t think that would ever change, now that she’d spoken to them, but there was a spark of something; faced with the faces of her parents and her mentor, and the way she had always been trying to live and honor the memory of them that she kept close to her heart.

Words had failed her until he stepped away, shock and a mixture of joy and pain that had nothing to do with the life she’d received both clear in her expression.

She hadn’t failed him yet, then. Not completely, not as much as she had failed everyone else, and that thought left her with a little spark of hope. Something she could hold on to.

“All I have ever wanted is to be someone you could be proud of,” she whispered, not sure if he heard it. She hoped he did. “When I came here tonight, I chose to dedicate my life to that.”

Though the remainder of Leopardsun’s life would be short, she meant it. To care for ShadowClan, to honor Froststar’s memory… That was a choice she had made. It may have felt like the only path forward, but she still walked it of her own will.

The last cat that stepped forward had no semblance of decorum. Instead, Honeylight bounded forward with a joyful sound, pressing himself immediately to Leopardsun’s side with a rumbling purr. ”Hey, Leo,” He said, the words laced with affection. Gone was the cold, bloodied corpse Leopardsun had seen last. Instead, Honeylight stood as big and broad as he ever did in life, a big smile on his face and his golden brown pelt shining with starlight. There was no trace of the vicious wound on his throat that had killed him.

His smile soon faded, however, as sorrow filled his honey brown eyes. ”I’m so sorry for the way I left. I should’ve been there for you. You’ve been through so much, lost so much… None of this has been fair.” He pressed his forehead against her shoulder for a long moment, shuddering in a breath. “I miss you, Leo. It’s so odd to be up here, y’know? All that time we spent talking about StarClan… Somehow, I didn’t think I’d get here.” He chuckled and finally pulled back to look Leopardsun in the eyes.

”I want to talk and catch up forever,” He said, smile returning, soft and bittersweet, ”But you’ve got a whole clan to get back to… so I won’t keep you.” He took a deep breath. ”You know—I never much liked Nightstar.” A hoarse laugh. ”I’m sorry your leadership is starting off in his shadow. But I know you’ll lead our clan somewhere good, Leopardsun. You’ve got a light in you. I’ve always seen it; they’ll see it too.”

Eyes softening, Honeylight rested their foreheads together one last time, closing his eyes. ”You have so much love inside you. If you take anything from me, hold onto that love. Give it to your clanmates, to the land you walk on, to perfect strangers. When you need those who have left you, give the love you still feel for them. Love so hard and so fiercely that it hurts. And when you need to, use that love you feel to defend your clan. And most of all,” He pulled back so he could look Leopardsun in the eyes.

”Give it to yourself. You deserve that love. You deserve to treat yourself with as much care and love as anyone you have dedicated yourself to. I’m not there anymore to look after you, so you’ve gotta look after yourself for me, okay? You’re going to be okay.” Honeylight leaned forward, and pressed their noses together. It was a soft, warm feeling washing over her, the sensation of curling up in a patch of sunlight with someone you loved. It was easy, it was complex, it was simple, it was fierce, and it was gentle.

”With this last life, I give you love. Wield it well.” Honeylight pulled back with a soft, sweet smile. ”Lead with love, Leopardsun, and you will lead well.” Taking a deep breath, Honeylight finally stepped away from Leopardsun, grief, longing, and regret still present in his eyes, but mixed in was unimaginable pride and, of course, love. Honeylight filled his lungs with air as he rejoined the crowd of StarClan cats, head held high, and ready to cry his best friend’s new name.

Leopardsun realized the cost of this moment of peace as soon as Honeylight stepped forward. It was that it was as fleeting and ephemeral as the shimmering cats that now stood before her; impossible to capture and keep the way she wanted to.

There was so much to say, and never enough time. That he shouldn’t apologize for what had happened, not when it was so clearly her own fault. That she still had so many doubts, so many fears. That she would never be allowed to voice them after this moment. That while he was her dearest friend, and the one she trusted the most, he was also the last one she’d had to lose. That she wasn’t sure she would ever be okay again, after everything that had transpired.

But there was one thing she simply couldn’t leave unsaid.

“I don’t know that I can love myself, after all that I’ve done,” she confessed to Honeylight’s shadow, for every StarClan cat seemed to have already turned away before she ever had a chance to speak. “But I love you more than that. So… I promise I’ll try. I hope that’s good enough.”

The last words Leopardsun would ever say.

She closed her eyes, taking one last breath, and waited for the words she knew were coming any moment now. She recognized the sound of pawsteps approaching, but she didn’t dare open her eyes to see who it was.

“With the honor and the power of the stars, you will no longer be known as Leopardsun,” came the same gentle voice that had first greeted her. “From this moment on, you will be known as Leopardstar. Lead with love, and always carry with you hope for the future.”

She opened her eyes, green as the marsh, to meet that vibrant and glittering orange.

“I’m sure everyone wishes you could stay,” Mothglow whispered. “But ShadowClan needs you.”

And once again the black tabby had vanished into the crowd, another voice to join in the chorus.

“Leopardstar!”

“Leopardstar!”

“Leopardstar!”

Somehow, as voices both familiar and not shouted her new name, she thought she could almost find joy in the change.

As the starry landscape began to fade away and her eyes grew heavy, she found herself with one more thing to say; the words she’d meant to shout coming out as just a whisper on the breeze—

“I love you.”

And yet, when she opened her eyes to the cavern she’d left behind, she was sure that they were heard.

The strange mixture of exhaustion and drive that had kept her working as hard as any cat could were still there, but she felt a renewed sense of energy. She thought that a cat of more faith might have considered it a last gift from the stars, but she was pretty sure it was just that she'd had no choice but to stop and sleep in order to speak with them.

It had been nice while it lasted.

Still, that momentary reprieve was over—the time had come to return to ShadowClan.

With a new name, and new lives to live and die in service of her Clan.

And always with the same weight on her shoulders.

[Special thanks to Ash, kjSage, Honey Badger, Copperbeans, Zenpaii, Reaper King, Alex, and Lostfanboy; both for allowing their characters to be utilized and for contributing to the life-giving portion of the ceremony!]

the gods can judge me when i'm dead || code (c) kieer