Wolfblossom's Leader Ceremony

The faintest light of dawn had only just touched the sky as Wolfblossom made her way from camp, the bitter taste of the traveling herbs mingling with the bitter knowledge of what had been delayed for long enough... What she could no longer afford to delay. The medicine cats and Honeydew had been informedof where Wolfblossom now headed,with reluctance dragging at her paws. Wolfblossom knew her medicine cats were right, and she even agreed with them that she must go to highstones finally.

That didn't mean it hadn't still taken some convincing for Wolfblossom to finally move her reluctant paws from camp. She had accepted that Birdstar was well and truly gone, had helped bury her sister and leader with her own paws and tears streaming down her face. But to go to the moonstone, to receive her nine lives? That somehow felt more real than anything else had, more than the burial, more than her conversation with Briarthorn or choosing Honeydew as her deputy. The arguments in camp, Shatteredsky and Sunfire and Bubblebeam... It all paled in comparison to the path her paws now walked. Familiar ground, yes. But it was different.

She was going to be leader. Of Skyclan. A thought that had surely terrified Beechfang, and right now Wolfblossom was battling the same sense of terror as the leapt from tree to tree, crossing through Skyclan territory and then the border along Thunderclan and the monster-ridden Thunderpath. Before her the dark sky had given way to dawn, then that to a cloudless, sunny sky. Peaceful, if not for the thoughts swirling in Wolfblossom's head.

Fourtrees was easy to cross, and her lip curled in distaste as she was forced to the ground, the lack of trees bordering Shadowclan and Windclan deeply unfortunate. The open space made her feel exposed, vulnerable, and Wolfblossom's fur stood on end despite her efforts. Highstones loomed ahead, casting the land around it in shadow as the sun slowly retreated toward the horizon.

Her paws were too well-trained to falter, but butterflies fluttered in Wolfblossom's stomach at the sight. One paw in front of the other, to turn back would be to admit failure. Failure Skyclan could not afford after so much grief. Failure that she would not place upon Honeydew's young shoulders. This was her duty, and she pressed forward in silence. The bitter taste in her mouth had not faded, but Wolfblossom didn't think it could be the traveling herbs, not after so many hours.

The ground under her paws grew rocky, almost reminding her of Skyclan's own rough-hewn territory, but not. There were no trees on the barren mountainside, and what little cat scent there was, was faint on the wind. Mothermouth was a dark stain on the rocky face in front of her, the sky above deepening into purple with streaks of deep, burnished orange and gold as the sun set. She had kept good time, despite the emotion fluttering in her belly.

It was much too late for her to turn back. Nor would she. If Starclan rejected her for the crimes of her family, if they proved what so many of her clanmates seemed to lament...

Wolfblossom shook her head, dismissing the thought. With another breath, the tabby and white Skyclanner stepped into the inky blackness, whiskers brushing stone. She had led enough apprentices here over the seasons to remember the well-worn path well despite the lack of a Skyclanner's greatest sense. The darkness was complete, all encompassing, and at first Wolfblossom did not register the faint glow that signaled the end of her journey was near.

Not that the moonstone was truly an end. Rather, touching it would only be the start. Wolfblossom forced her breathing to remain even and calm, tried to quell the panic that threatened to rise in her throat. For the clan, she would do this. She had to.

Finally, she stepped into a dazzlingly bright cavern. The large stone in the center was always a sight to behold on a clear night like this, when the moon shone through a gap in the cavern's roof. Wolfblossom came to a stop in silence, the moonstone as breathtaking in its' beauty as it had been the first time she saw it.

Breathtaking, yes. And now it elicited a whole new sense of terror within her that it had not when she was an apprentice, nor when she had led so many others here. Had Birdstar felt the same when she had received her own nine lives in this very place? Wolfblossom frowned at the stone for a moment, but she could feel something within her being drawn to it, even as she regarded it with a mixture of emotion. White paws stepped forward, and the deputy sank to her belly, nose pressing against the shockingly cold stone.

Sleep came quickly, unnatural with the anxiety coursing through her. Her eyes closed and everything went dark.

Blinking open her eyes to a dark landscape filled with starlight, Wolfblossom rose from where she been curled. Starclan, at last. The knowledge of where she was did not work to stifle the anxiety that seemed to have settled in a vise-like grip around her throat, but she forced her shaking paws to still and raised her head, shoulders squared as her head turned, blue eyes sweeping over the field of shimmering starlight. It was impossible to make out individual shapes, individual faces, all around her it was simply shimmering starlight.

Wolfblossom waited. And waited. The moments seemed to stretch, feeling like an eternity. Anxiety churned in her stomach.

As Mr. Worm stepped forward, he bore a warm and welcoming smile so wide that it briefly made his eyes scrunch closed in greeting. "It has been a while, my friend!" His kind voice rang out to Wolfblossom as the stars around them shifted to a scene more familiar to Mr. Worm: a vast wheat field with a bright red barn in the distance filled with sheep.

"Settle in beside me, won't you? Wait with me." A passive wind rattled the golden fronds of the almost ready-to-harvest wheat field around the two cats, stars twinkling within his pelt as the old white furred tom settled into a predator's crouch beside a tiny burrow. From life until death, all Mr. Worm knew was to protect what he loved and was put in charge of. Without him there, the wheat would have long been victim to pests and the harvest would have died out before their seeds had the opportunity to bloom. He was trained to keep order. This was his duty.

His short white tail never flickered and whiskers never twitched as he watched and waited for a field mouse to come out of hiding, brown eyes watching. Ragged ears forward and listening. Claws itching to pierce his enemy.

And so they waited. And waited. And waited some more. Not once had Mr. Worm shifted where he crouched, the sun soaring high in the sky before continuing its fall behind the tree line.

Squeak!

A flash of white as the old tom shot forward, his claws and teeth claiming victory as they pierced through the mouse's skull. A hearty chuckle came as he dropped its lifeless form in front of Wolfblossom. He stretched each limb as though they ached from being hunched over for so long, but StarClan was painless. Created for an old tom like himself. "There are many enemies out there - both big and small - waiting for the opportunity to strike when your back is turned. Waiting to take what is yours and raze it to the ground. Striking too soon or too late leads to a loss that could cripple everything you and your ancestors have built..."  Standing, he bowed his head respectfully before stepping closer to tap his pink nose against the large molly's.

"With this life, I give you patience. Patience when speaking with a child too naive of the world around them. Patience in dealing with the disagreements of your fellow peers. Patience in waiting for the enemy to falter first." He gave a smile as he stepped back, the golden scene fading back into the void of sparkles that made up Silver Pelt. His eyes shone with some unknown sadness, a question he didn't have time to ask: a question he already knew the answer to. His son had not been the good boy he promised to be, but at least he hadn't caused Wolfblossom any further trouble. He had seen her skill in redirecting him away from the place and souls she held dear, and that itself was all he could ask of her. She delivered her message as he had asked.

"I hope you continue in the kindness you have shown me. Your Clan will need it." With another bow of the head, Mr. Worm stepped away to allow another to take his place.

The stars seemed to coalesce, taking shape in the form of a white tom who wore a broad grin as he stepped forward. It took Wolfblossom a long moment to place where she knew that white pelt from. "Mister. Worm!" How had a loner ended up among the stars? She had known about his unfortunate passing from Grub, of course, but Wolfblossom's interactions with loners were few and far between. Perhaps he did believe in Starclan, and that was why he was here? She had not thought much of the conversation that they had shared as she helped him, that day they had found each other. His presence was strangely gratifying and soothing, more than she had expected it to be. "Indeed, it has been. I am... Surprised you're here." She mewed, "Grub told me he found you. I was sorry to hear it." He had only wanted to make it home, after all.

As she spoke, the starry field shifted around them, her surroundings growing unfamiliar. A vast field, and a twoleg building in the distance. Wolfblossom blinked, confusion evident as she turned toward Mr. Worm. The request to wait with him for a little while was... Strange. This couldn't have been part of a leader ceremony, right?

Wollfblossom opened her mouth, ready to question the old tom, but he had settled into a crouch. A tiny burrow was close, she realized. Carefully, the fluffy Skyclanner dropped into her own crouch, body stilling. A soft breeze stirred her fur, and she could smell the wheat on the wind, smell the mice that likely called this area home.

Starclan for cats must have been their version of the dark forest. Mr. Worm did not seem inclined to talk as he waited, his attention fixed more on the burrow than on the she-cat beside him. The silence stretched, and the moments grew long. What was he doing? Hunting, of course, but...

A squeak was heard, and before Wolfblossom could blink, the old tom had exploded forward, snapping up the mouse with a speed she would not have expected from him in life. The mouse was dropped triumphantly in front of her. The pale loner began to speak... Not at all what she had expected. The mouse was an enemy, but how?

Understanding washed over Wolfblossom's pensive, curious features as Mr. Worm explained. The waiting game had been a lesson, she realized as he spoke. Mr. Worm was an old cat when he'd wandered into Skyclan territory that day... An old cat on his own when many in a similar situation died young. Wolfblossom would not have thought him shrewd as she had guided him to the river on that day. His words now proved her wrong, and she was glad for it. The tom touched his nose to hers, and the surge of emotion she felt could have knocked her off her paws, had she not braced them. The golden-hued field he had brought her to disappeared, leaving them standing back among silverpelt.

"Thank you, Mister Worm." She mewed softly, "Patience is not something that comes easy but... You are right. And I will do my best." Patience had not mattered in the war that had consumed the clan recently, but she knew that sooner or later it would. Skyclan had many enemies, they would make a mistake and she would be the one to capitalize on that. Her own clanmates, of course, deserved her patience for a different reason.

"Helping you that day was the least I could do." She added, "You were no enemy, loner or not." She watched as the tom slipped back into the stars with a small smile.

This first life had not been anything like what she had expected. Taking a deep breath, Wolfblossom steeled herself for what was to come.

History would always forge a path to the future, no matter who it was that tried to stop it. Not even the mightiest of leaders, not even all of the powers combined of Starclan had the ability to revoke the lessons of history. Whether they repeated themselves or were lessons that slowly became lost to time, there was no power over that, either. But what could always be imparted was history itself; what had been done could be handed down from generation to generation as a story to twist and turn to fit the tale of time. Despite what many would say, it would always be necessary to learn from the past. After all, it was what informed the future. Had the past not determined the downfall of the late Skyclan leader, it would not have meant for the current summonings that had pulled them all together at this very moment.

Parting through the crowd with a general-like confidence, the molly that approached kept her head held high. Her pelt was not far off in resemblance to many of Skyclan's kin today, but while many of them bore large builds with thick fur, she was tall and slender. A lethal arrow, ready to dart out at whichever enemy threatened her kin. That militaristic look had stayed on her face, in her eyes, as she approached. She did not even dip her head fully towards Wolfblossom, instead, offering a sharp tip of her skull.

"Welcome to Starclan, Wolfblossom. I congratulate you upon the inheritance of leadership. It's no small position to be bestowed, and I am quite grateful that your predecessor chose such a worthy warrior to be the one to fill her paws." The deeper alto voice spoke with a tone that knew she had demanded respect during the time that she walked the forest. It did not speak with one that placed her above the molly that she now faced; but it did not disrespect the authority that had been due to her own position as she had lived. "I am Coldheart, former deputy of Skyclan. I walked the forest in a time long, long before any cat now did, so long my bloodline no longer circles the forest. But even as my blood does not, the legacy of Skyclan is strong, and you are proof of that."

Stepping forward, her head tilted higher as she assessed the prospective leader before her. "Skyclan has always been a clan that has been faced by hardships, scorn, and war. Not long after my passing, all of Skyclan had been eradicated from the forest. Had it not been for my daughter Silentstar's return, none of us would be walking among the stars to tell the tale. Skyclan would no longer be." It was not the first time they had been driven from the forest, and the former deputy knew that it would certainly not be the last. As such, she knew that any cat that took the mantle of leadership had to be prepared for it. There would be no way that they would survive otherwise.

"War is a part of the forest, but every Clan needs a strong general to lead them in the fight. Allowing those under your command to act on their own accord leads to more death than is necessary—but that is a lesson that time has taught you recently." She had watched the war that had unfolded between the three clans with a critical gaze. With a single flick of her tail, Coldheart then stepped forward to close the distance between the two of them. Her nose found its place atop the apex of Wolfblossom's skull as she commanded the next words.

"With this life, I give you battle prowess. The entire forest is a battlefield, no matter if you are in combat, or out of it. Become the calculating general that Skyclan needs. Plan your moves, watch that of your enemies, and learn those of your allies. Learn all you need to make the choices for your Clan to lead them to victory." With the life granted, and words firmly stated, she would then pull away. It was only at this point that she gave a true dip of her head before marching to return to her place among the crowd.

The next cat that parted through the sea of starlight to stand before Wolfblossom was not one that she did not recognize. There was a sense of age about the Starclanner, as if she had not spoken to one of the living in a long while. She walked through the stars as if she owned them, with a confidence that Wolfblossom could only wish to match. Her pelt was shorter than many of the others she had spoken to on this night, and her pale fur was not so far off from some of the cats Wolfblossom did know, though her build was slender rather than bulky. The severe look remained on her features as she reached Wolfblossom. A nod was offered in greeting, something in the unfamiliar she-cat stature reminding her a bit of Bloodstrike, a bit of Beechfang. But poised, purposeful. Collected. Wolfblossom had the same sense when the Starclan cat spoke.

The position of deputy was not one that Wolfblossom had ever expected. Indeed, it had proven to be no small task, neither simple nor easy. Going into the position of leader, Wolfblossom knew that would not be diminished, but it would rather grow. Wolfblossom listened intently as the Starclanner – Coldheart – spoke. She was old enough to have seen her own blood no longer take root within the forest, something that Wolfblossom herself could not imagine with how large her own family was. Old enough to have seen her clan driven out and return. This was new knowledge, something that Wolfblossom hadn't known about. Some cats in Skyclan's long history must have grown up on the stories of it, but over time they must have been lost. Skyclan, she knew, would always survive.

Still, it was hard not feel as if the forest itself was against them. The flood that had driven all the clans away from the forest long before her parents time, the fire that had driven Skyclan from their home and into twolegplace, forced to live as rogues. The more recent famine that had forced them from their home again... It seemed as though every time the clan had their footing, or as much footing as they could find, something happened to drive them away from the rocky forest that was theirs by right. Perhaps it should not have been such a surprise, that there were yet more instances of this buried within Skyclan's past.

Yes, she thought, Skyclan had always been the scorned ones, the ones plunged into one war and hardship after another. Birdstar had tried so hard to restore their reputation among the other clans and it had been a losing battle. Perhaps it always would be, given the clan's history. That wouldn't stop Wolfblossom from trying to do the same, but her clan would always come first. If it was between keeping them safe and their reputation, she knew which she would choose. Reputation alone would not save them from war or their own environment... But it would deter one of those things. And if there was one thing her clanmates were unfortunately good at, it was battle. If fighting was needed to survive, Wolfblossom did not doubt herself, much as she might have preferred a peaceful solution. Skyclan was her priority and Skyclan alone.

They would never be driven out of the forest again, not if she had anything to say about it.

Coldheart's nose touched the top of Wolfblossom's head as she bestowed upon her the life of battle prowess. The life was one of far more than just within the scope of combat, though. Indeed, she thought as Coldheart continued to speak, she could not allow her clanmates to act outside of her orders, either. There were days it felt like she didn't truly know some of them... How could she lead them, if that were the case? She would simply have to learn them, understand them. Friend and foe both. As the pain of the life combined with memories of fighting foxes and the impressions of other battles Wolfblossom could not quite make sense of, the former deputy finally dipped her head to her before turning away. The she-cat had come to Wolfblossom with a purpose and there had not been time to speak, the many questions that Wolfblossom had would have to wait. Perhaps those questions about the past were less important than what she did moving forward.

Stepping down from the field of stars, Bloodstrike approached Wolfblossom with a beaming expression on his face. He wondered if she would even recognize him. His scars were gone, his tail was back and he looked like a young tom. "Wolfblossom… you share the two prefixes of my mother and father in your name. I imagine you probably knew. Both of them are amazing cats, I have no doubt you will honor their names. I give you the life of Indomitable Will. This trait was something I was known for and it has served me well no matter the circumstances or odds. All strong leaders have this trait, now you do too. When you say something, do it. Make sure your word means something to all who hear it. Never allow anyone to doubt you." He reached forward with his nose and touched her's, like a mentor greeting an apprentice for the first time. He had no doubts that she would be great. Skyclan needed a strong, unyielding leader like he was back in the day. If only Briarthorn had let him slaughter Perchstar in their camp that day… But that time had come and gone. He was in Starclan now and his place was to guide Skyclan from the stars. He pulled his nose away and nodded once at her, his eyes sparkling with approval and hope.

"Others are waiting, or I would talk to you for awhile. Starclan will guide your paws, Wolfblossom, or at least I will. Have no fear, take no dirt. I bid you farewell." He stepped back a few paces before turning and returning to silverpelt in a shimmering mist.

The next cat to approach took her an embarrassing moment to place, and even then, she wasn't entirely sure until he spoke in a familiar voice. "Grandfather," Wolfblossom managed a smile. Gone were the myriad of scars that had worn the tom's sand-colored, striped pelt to tatters, and his expression was even different than she was used to. He looked happy. With the life he'd lived, the way it had ended, Wolfblossom was just as happy to see him. It seemed that death had brought him some amount of peace, something he'd deserved and never seen in life. The tom spoke of his own parents, indeed, Wolfblossom knew the reasoning for at least the first part of her name, though she had never met either of the cats she shared a name with. They both were good cats, from everything she had heard... Wolfblossom hoped that she could do their names justice. There were days, especially recently, where the she-cat wasn't sure she would. With Birdstar's death, the doubt was like a poison slowly seeping through her veins.

The life Bloodstrike granted was one of indomitable will. How very fitting, considering just how stubborn their family could be. Wolfblossom knew her mother had shared that trait, as had her sisters and her sons. A trait that went beyond stubbornness in many ways. Was she capable of standing her ground like they were? Bloodstrike had never faltered, even in the face of nearly a dozen foxes attacking camp. It had taken so much more than that to bring him down, and that had not been his own choice. Birdstar had always been quick and decisive too, and had never turned back on her decisions. Bloodstrike's nose touched hers, and as the pain of the life coursed through her, Wolfblossom remained standing. Each life had been a special kind of agony so far, but if she faltered here, allowed it to break her, what sort of leader could she possibly hope to be? She knew that some of her clanmates already doubted her from the decisions that had been made, that the forest would doubt Skyclan too. She would show them they were wrong. That they all were wrong, about her and Skyclan both.

That her grandfather and former leader could not spare the time to talk left her with a pang of sadness, but Wolfblossom understood. There were questions that she would have liked to ask the former leader, and maybe she would be able to one day, but it would not be today as she watched him return to the stars from where he'd come from.

In a whirl of copper shimmers, Copperfox descended from Silverpelt and approached Wolfblossom with a confident, happy stride. Upon taking in her form and remembering the situation she was facing, his expression softened and became more sympathetic. "Wolfblossom! I am Copperfox, your uncle! I have seen your struggles and heard your cries. I am here to give you the life of Strength. There are a lot of challenges you'll face and obstacles to overcome, some of which are not even your fault. I trust that my life of Strength will help you get through these challenges. I, like my father Bloodstrike, have confidence in your ability to lead. Know that you have family watching you. You are never alone, no matter if you may feel that way." Copperfox reached out a paw and touched Wolfblossom's shoulder as if he was transferring his own physical strength into her own. Copperfox might not have been a very tall tom, but he was stocky and very powerful for his size. He stepped back and away from her, offering an encouraging smile before pivoting on his heel.

"By the way, strength also means not being afraid to lean on others. Other leaders before you have tried to take on too much at once by themselves and it broke them. Be strong. Show you have the sense to rely on others even if it wounds your pride. Pride itself is a weakness." With that being said, Copperfox faded away into Silverpelt to allow the next cat to offer their life to her.

It felt like she had hardly had the chance to catch her breath when the next cat approached in a whirl of copper-toned starlight. The tom who approached her was unfamiliar, warm-toned tabby and white with a shorter, stockier build than many of the Skyclanners Wolfblossom was used to. With a warm and happy expression that Wolfblossom definitely wasn't used to seeing recently, almost foreign to her war-focused and grief-torn senses, the tom introduced himself as Copperfox, her uncle. That was a name she had heard once or twice, though the tom had died long before her time in the forest.

His words made her whiskers twitch, a soft snort escaping her. Obstacles and challenges, indeed... Some of them weren't even her fault. Well... He wasn't wrong, she supposed. The battle with Riverclan and Thunderclan had been her fault, just as much as it had been on Birdstar and Beechfang or Sunfire. Before she could comment on it though he was continuing to speak. Strength to overcome the problems she would face... And he and Bloodstrike had confidence in her. They believed in her. I hope your belief isn't misplaced. I'll try my best... I don't even know if some of my clanmates believe in me. Wolfblossom wasn't sure she believed in her, not with so much lost and such a monumental task in front of her.

The tom lifted a paw to her shoulder, something different than what Wolfblossom had come to expect. The power of the life coursed through her, almost dizzying. When it had subsided somewhat, when her senses returned to her, Copperfox was speaking again. It... Made sense. Relying on others wasn't what she was used to, Birdstar had been the only one. With her death, though... She had named Honeydew deputy, Briarthorn and Falconmoon were still in the clan. All cats that could potentially be leaned on, though Wolfblossom was loathe to do that to the former leader or her own son and granddaughter. "Thank you, Copperfox. I... Will do my best."

How long ago had it been since the last time Wolfstar had done this? Not long enough, he decided, as he sat back amongst the other starry figures to await his turn. Birdstar, his great granddaughter... he'd had hopes she would lead SkyClan for far longer than she did; it was a dishonor, what that fox-hearted fool, Cloverheart, had done... stripping lives for a crime the young she-cat hadn't even committed. A dishonor, further, how readily lives had been taken on both sides of the field in the battle that followed. Wolfblossom would be inheriting a war that should never have been fought in the first place... one that had seen more than its fair share of blood spilled, both in his lifetime and since. There would be more violence to come, though, before this saw its conclusion. Wolfstar couldn't see the future, but it didn't take an oracle to see that neither side involved were planning to let this go.

When it was time for him to speak, the old leader stepped forward, materializing in the space that his predecessor had just vacated. He smiled at Wolfblossom, inclining his head to the she-cat in greeting as he moved to stand in front of her. "It seems we will soon share a name," he said, sitting down and curling his dark, striped tail around his paws. Amber eyes watched her for a moment. "I am Wolfstar - leader of SkyClan, but well before your time." He opened his mouth, seeming to hesitate on what he planned to say before finally deciding on: "Your mother is very dear to me. Before we begin, I'd like to thank you for what you did to protect her, even when you knew there was a possibility it would bring discord." Beechfang was with him, now, in StarClan, but there was still some level of hollowness he felt at the knowledge that her life had been senselessly ended, when she had so much more to give to her clan.

"Wolfblossom, you display a type of strength that many wish to have, but very few actually possess, and you will be a leader that SkyClan can be proud of - this, I know." The dark tom leaned forward, touching his nose to Wolfblossom's forehead. "With this life, I give you perseverance. Newleaf is on the horizon, but the nights will only get darker and colder in the days to come. SkyClan will face many challenges, and it will be up to you, Wolfblossom, to lead them through this storm and into the sunshine on the other side. It will not be an easy task, but it is yours... though I wish it were not. "

When the life was hers, Wolfstar looked down at her, eyes soft and full of affection, the same way he'd looked at Birdstar when she'd stood here. "SkyClan is in good paws. We will be in the stars, if you need us." And then he turned and took a step, fading away into sparkling darkness.

The next cat to materialize in front of her in a shimmer of stars was a short-furred dark tabby with white toes and a nicked ear stepped forward with a smile. Not someone she recognized, but when the tom finally spoke, something clicked. They would soon share a name... So this was the grandfather that Beechfang had named her for. Watchful golden eyes met hers, reminding her of another pair of golden eyes... Graywind. So, there was some family resemblance after all. The leader continued, offering thanks, and Wolfblossom inclined her head. It had caused plenty of strife, but she wasn't sure that she wouldn't have done things differently, either. "She's our mother, it was the least we owed her. Even – despite – everything." She responded softly. "Riverclan had no right to interfere if she wasn't actively trying to cause problems. It was Skyclan business. Not anyone else's. I'm only sorry that my clanmates paid for it in blood." She added, tail lashing behind her only once.

Wolfstar continued, and Wolfblosom found herself wondering how so many cats could seem so certain, so sure of themselves when she herself was not. Once maybe, but since Birdstar's passing, and with her own clan so divided, her own family so fractured, it was hard to see the strength that others seemed to see within her. She knew that Birdstar had named her deputy for a reason, just as she had named Honeydew deputy in turn. So many cats depended on her to lead them, and still more than just the living believed in her ability to lead them. She had resolved to do everything in her power to do so, to make things right for Skyclan. She knew it would not be an easy task, there would always be threats to the peace that she wanted for her clan. Wolfstar had probably watched as they faced challenge after challenge, and who better to know that than another leader? His nose touched hers, the power that sparked and rippled through Wolfblossom making her fur stand on end. She was breathing hard by the end, the slow cumulation of each life she had received so far beginning to take their toll. By the end of this she would be exhausted, she knew. But there would be no rest for her when she returned to camp, much less now when there were still more lives to be gained. She would get through this one step at a time, just like Skyclan would.

The pain ebbed as Wolfstar spoke again, his expression warm as he offered reassurance before turning and disappearing. The starry cats granting her her lives all seemed to believe in her, to be offering their support. It was slowly working to ease the doubts that had been festering in Wolfblossom's mind. There was a lot she would have liked to ask the former leader she had been named after... She would get that chance, one day far into the future.

Dovefrost had spent many moons watching over his children, and his mate. Following along on their journeys and adventures even if he was stuck in the stars. Every pawstep they took, was a pawstep that he followed just as it was his own. Every hunt, every battle he was there, watching intently, Then came that fateful battle.. All three of his remaining kin were there.. His two surviving kits, and his mate. He knew it wasn't going to end well. He knew that this would be the last some of them saw of the forest. He knew.. And as much as he wanted to intervene, heal just as Fawnshine did, he couldn't. It wasn't his place. Instead he welcomed them to the stars, after they saw the finale of their battle.

And now he greeted the last, in the stars just as the others but for a different reason. To become a star herself. To be the guiding light of the stars but walk among the forest. To work with her medicine cat and lead Skyclan to the best of their ability. A blessing and a curse he never thought another one of his children would acquire. It was blessing enough to have two medicine cats, and then to his surprise a leader followed. Now he was here to bless the remaining of his kits with a life.

As soon as he could step forward, he closed the gap between him and his remaining daughter. The large white tom pressed his face into Wolfblossom's fur, taking in her scent, taking in the fact that she was here, in front of him, alive. A very rare opportunity he would likely never get again until she was ready to join the stars for good. Dovefrost let out a shaky sigh, trying to keep himself composed, trying to remain formal for the ceremony he was so lucky to be a part of.

Finally after a moment he stepped back. Shining green eyes falling on the form of his daughter. "I am so, so proud of you." He started. He had known what she went through, how she was feeling, and wanted nothing more to cheer his daughter up. To let her know that she was walking the right path in his eyes. "And I am so sorry that I couldn't have been there to help… I wish I could have. I wish I could have been beside you and your sister this whole time." He knew he couldn't go back and change it, but that didn't stop him from apologizing for it.

"There is so much to say, so much to catch up on, but time is very limited.. So I must keep this moving, as much as I wish to relish this moment forever." Dovefrost straightened up, taking a moment to steady, and steel himself.

"With this life, I give you love." The large white tom leaned forward, pressing his nose to his daughters. It was going to be different from the last. Not painful as some of the others had been but welcoming, warm, bright. A well needed break from what she had experienced and what has yet to come. "Use this life to love your clan despite their flaws, to love those who you think don't deserve it. To follow your heart to find the happiness you so desperately deserve." He stated, recalling just how he came to love Beechfang. His friendship with Starlingflare despite the tom's dark issues. How he would travel to Windclan just to help them heal. "Use it to fill your heart with good even in the darkest of times." He stated finally.

The white tom stepped back, a bitter-sweet shine in his eyes now that he knew the moment was coming to a close. "I will always be on your side, and taking every pawstep forward with you, no matter what challenges are in front of you. Never forget that." He gave her a small smile, before he turned and disappeared, going to join his mate and attend to his family.

The fluffy white tom that approached Wolfblossom next was almost enough to make her forget the encroaching exhaustion as she smiled. "Dad... I've missed you so much." His death had been long ago now, but she still remembered that day so soon after Beechfang's exile clearly. It felt like she had never truly gotten to say goodbye, with how things had happened. In a way it had forced her to step up, to be there for the rest of her family as much as she could be. The former medicine cat had taught her a lot about that, both directly and indirectly. She leaned against him, face pressed against pale shoulder fur until her father stepped back.

"I know. It- It wasn't your fault." He hadn't deserved the fate he got after coming to Skyclan, but Wolfblossom would always be grateful for the time she'd had with her father. It was a struggle to keep the disappointment from her expression as Dovefrost too expressed the need to hurry. All she wanted was to spend time with the family she hadn't spent enough time with in life, but the ceremonial words each cat spoke loomed over them like a cloud. If she were still a warrior, perhaps Wolfblossom would have pushed back, would have stolen more time to spend with just her loved ones. But duty demanded that time now, and she knew that eventually she would have all the time in the world to spend with those she cared about. Now though, being deputy – becoming leader – meant responsibility. Responsibility to the clan as a whole, not just her family that resided among the stars. Still, part of her was reluctant to let this go, reluctant to have to go back to duty already.

The life that Dovefrost bestowed was different than the rest she had received so far. Warmth spread through her in soothing contrast to the stark agony of the previous lives, the same agony that she had mentally braced herself for this time but never came. Her father finally stepped back, and Wolfblossom smiled up at him again, some of the tension that had been building in her shoulders dissipating. Maybe not for long, but he'd given her some reprieve. Love... How fitting that that was the life her father had given her. Just as he had when he'd walked among the living all those seasons ago. Death had not changed his values it seemed... She hoped that leadership would not change hers, when love for her family and clan had guided so many of her actions, perhaps more than it should have at times. "I love you too, dad."

Beechfang had never thought to find herself among the stars after that fateful battle. She had resigned herself to a different fate, to the mist or dark forest for her actions in life, for putting her clan in danger just to spend a little more time with her kits. Selfish, truly. That she would not deny.

Still, it had been worth it, to get to know them, to know the peace that Birdstar had managed to bring Skyclan. As she had wandered twolegplace and even when she had returned, the silver tabby had spent a lot of time reflecting. On Dawnhawk, on her own actions. On all the decisions that had led up to Skyclan being at war once again for actions that would haunt them through the ages. Now, she and Birdstar would have an eternity to reflect on it together.

Birdstar's death, the death of her own child, was like having her head dunked under the waves once more. The knowledge that she had caused it, that another of her daughters was now thrust into the perilous game of leadership and trying to see the clan through the aftermath of losing so much, almost felt like Perchstar's fangs were at her throat once more. She had been able to reunite with so many of those she cared about while Wolfblossom and the clan would have to forge their own path forward. Beechfang feared for them, feared for the family she had left behind... But she was confident that Wolfblossom would be able to lead. She had good cats surrounding her, but also those who were determined to see Skyclan fail. Riverclan and Thunderclan would be determined to see Skyclan as nothing more than the warmongers they had been in the past, and there were many cats who would provoke them into following the pawsteps of their ancestors.

When it was Beechfang's turn to approach, the silver tabby stepped forward with a soft smile. Gone were the scars that had so heavily marked her pelt in life. Her ears were as they had been, tufts of silvery fur at their tips, the burn scars suffered because of a gathering she only remembered in bits and pieces were gone, leaving her face that of almost a different cat entirely. Stars shimmered brightly in her silvery and white fur and around two yellow-green eyes that stood out in her pale face. "What, don't recognize your own mother?" Beechfang grinned at her daughter's expression, stepping forward to press against her. "I did not ever expect to make it here, much less for Birdstar to die alongside me. I am sorry for where we left you and the clan.. And that actions from so long ago have led to this." She began, her expression hardening. "It will be hard, and I know not all of your clanmates will agree, but you cannot continue to exacerbate this by seeking vengeance. There has been enough blood spilled for several lifetimes, stemming back to reasons from when I was still a newly named medicine cat. Dawnhawk, Cloverheart... So much life has been lost because of my own pursuit of justice, because of their own desires for it. You saw it with Perchstar, and she got what she came for. Don't be the start of another war – or the continuation of this one, rather. I have paid for my own transgressions, and Birdstar has paid for her deceit. Only innocent cats will suffer if you continue to seek justice for what has already been paid." She rasped, gazing down at her daughter.

"With this life I grant you memory. Reflection." Beechfang stretched forward, touching her nose to Wolfblossom's. From her own experiences, Beechfang knew how painful this life would be to receive. To reflect and realize she had been wrong, the soul searching she had done after her exile and after rejoining Skyclan... It had taken everything in her to finally admit to her own wrongdoing, to admit to the consequences she had laid upon her beloved clan. "Keep the memories of the past alive, not to dwell on them, but to learn. To walk a different path than your predecessors. Those who forget the sins of the past are doomed to repeat them... Something Skyclan knows all too well. It's a lesson Falconmoon and I learned the hard way, something your predecessors may have only learned by the time the clan was in shambles around them, when their every motive and loyalty was questioned for their inability to see past their own stubborn pride and understand what their clan needed. My grandfather, my father, myself... We led this clan to war and brought as much strife and pain upon ourselves as we did to our enemies. My father tried to break the cycle with Ashstorm, though she died early into your kithood. Birdstar tried to break it with you, as you have now done with Honeydew. Use what's in that head of yours and think, Wolfblossom." Her words were harsh, but they were true. "I am so, so proud of you, my daughter. I believe you will lead Skyclan well, and while I won't be there physically, I will be watching. You have the support of many cats, even if it doesn't feel like it."

Beechfang finally stepped back, offering her daughter a dip of her head. "Good luck, my kit. Tell Falconmoon to remember what we talked about. Or I'll go down there myself to remind him." With lightning, her tone implied. There was more she wished to say, more she wished she could have done in life, but she had taken up enough time. Beechfang turned, disappearing in a swirl of stars as she returned to the remains of her family.

The next cat to approach Wolfblossom, just as Bloodstrike had been, was nearly unrecognizable. Beechfang's silvery and white fur was full and unmarred by the myriad of scars she had known her mother to have in life. Two eyes peered at her from a face that had once been a ruin, the emotions in their depths as tumultuous as ever. Wolfblossom managed a smile at her mother's words, though the realization of just how much pain she must have suffered through in life to earn such a drastically different appearance to what she must have been in her youth was a sobering thought. With a broken purr, Wolfblossom stepped forward, leaning into her mother's fur. "I'm sorry too, mom." She knew that the old she-cat had never expected to make it into Starclan, her mother had always been... Oddly accepting of that belief. To see her here though was a relief. Wolfblossom had not wanted to believe in her mother's more gloomy, pessimistic outlook, but a part of her had feared for what would happen when death eventually came for her.

She pulled back, glancing up at her mother as she began to speak. To lecture, really. Her warnings were far from a surprise, even after that disastrous first gathering when she had confessed to murder, the silver tabby had always tried to impress upon her kits that her actions had been wrong. That to fight it would lead to more needless blood spilled. Wolfblossom did not like to admit that she was right, but... She was right. As much as Wolfblossom and her siblings had tried to justify their mother's actions, even as they had allowed her back into the clan, they had known the risk. To continue to fight battles over cats long, long dead that only a few remembered was foolish, as Riverclan had refused to accept. A large part of Wolfblossom wanted to resist, to go after Perchstar just as the leader had gone after her family. But she had chosen Honeydew as her deputy for a reason, knowing that the young she-cat wanted an end to the fighting. That her granddaughter would hold her accountable.

There would be other battles Skyclan would not be able to avoid, she knew. To continue to fight over Beechfang's death would be to weaken them for what was to inevitable come their way. Skyclan would be no pushover, they would not let the other clans walk all over them. But if Wolfblossom were to seek vengeance, she knew it would never end. "I will not bleed my clan for my own wants." She mewed.

Perhaps, then, it was no surprise of the life that Beechfang offered. Memory, reflection. The old warrior had done plenty of that in her time, Wolfblossom knew, though not before she had made many mistakes. Pain ripped through her as Beechfang touched her nose to Wolfblossom's, a shock to her system unlike anything she had felt before. The life burned through her, an invisible weight settling on her shoulders hard enough that Wolfblossom thought she might crumble beneath the pressure. She wasn't sure how long it lasted, only that when Beechfang broke the connection and stepped away, she was breathing heavily, and dark spots danced in her vision. Wolfblossom willed herself to take even breaths, to blink and clear the spots dancing in front of her eyes. Foxdung, mother... Regret nor death had softened her, it seemed.

Beechfang began to speak once more. Harsh words for a harsh reality, and Wolfblossom listened. Indeed, she had chosen Honeydew for a reason, she herself was chosen for a reason, no matter how much it didn't feel like it. Birdstar, Bloodstrike... They had both tried to ensure the clan would change, and yet Skyclan leadership seemed to slip back into old wrath and a stubbornness that had led so many to their demise easily. "I will try." She rasped, "Honeydew... I chose her for a reason, as you said. I just hope that she doesn't break under the weight I've put upon her shoulders."

Beechfang's confidence was gratifying to hear, easing some of the pain Wolfblossom felt in watching her return to the starry landscape.

Crowstar was never expecting to be summoned for the ceremony, especially when his story had been all but forgotten. Time and again he had watched as many leaders have stepped up and taken their lives and continued to lead his clan in ways that he didn't expect nor even begin to describe. Devoted to Skyclan, devoted to their family. Somehow circling back to one or the other to the end of their leadership.

The stoic tom wasn't sure what he was going to say to this new leader he didn't have much of a connection to, even as Beechfang stepped back leaving space for the former leader to step up. Yellow eyes took in the she-cat in front of him as he moved forward, coming to stand eye to eye. "Wolfblossom." The former leader's voice was a deep rumble as he spoke. "My name is Crowstar, leader before yours, and leader before that." The tom's tone changed ever so slightly, but his voice seemed to hold no emotion.

"I have come to give you a life. A life that I lived when I was alive, a life that I breathed every single day. Yellow eyes closed for a moment before reopening. "A life I hope you never forget, and live with every fiber of your being."

The large tom leaned forward, pressing his nose to hers, speaking in his chilling deep tone. "With this life I give you devotion." He stated simply before continuing. "Live for Skyclan, Die for Skyclan. Every movement, every step, every breath is for them. Everything you do is for them. You fail yourself, you fail them. Make it count."

As soon as the life was given, words stated, Crowstar stepped back. Hard yellow eyes analyzing the leader to be. "You will make a great leader, as long as you remember your clan." The black tom stated, his voice sounding a little lighter, a slight hint of approval in his tone. After that the tom stepped back once more and faded from view to let the last of this ceremony step up.

The next cat to approach Wolfblossom was a fluffy black tom who stood eye-to-eye with her. Blue eyes met the searching yellow gaze of the Starclanner. This was not a cat familiar to Wolfblossom, his voice deep yet seemingly emotionless as he spoke. Impossible to tell his thoughts. It was disconcerting for most cats to have given her a life be ones she recognized, though Wolfblossom kept the thought from her face. The tom introduced himself as Crowstar, another leader of Skyclan from long before her own time or hat of her mother's.

The life he gave her was another that sent pain wracking through her body as it flowed into her. Devotion. How she knew that emotion well, or thought she did. It had been devotion that had kept her family together, for as long as they could be. Devotion that had kept her paws ceaselessly working for the clan that she had never expected to become deputy of. Perhaps, she thought, Crowstar would be right. That same devotion would lead her to die for it, too, just as Birdstar had. She would have the lives for it, when all was said and through here tonight, and would not waste the gifts she was given. With each life was a duty to the clan she would lead. Already she had felt the weight of the responsibility laid upon her shoulders, but she would do everything within her power to lead Skyclan into a better future.

"Thank you, Crowstar." She murmured.

For one final time, Silverpelt's curtain parted. The misty wreath of stars surrounding Wolfblossom began drawing together, magnetized into the shape of Birdstar approaching mid-stride. There was no hesitation or preamble to clearing the distance between them so she could press her face into the ruff of Wolfblossom's neck, just beneath her jaw. It was, thankfully, not a gesture that would extract her life and end their time together too soon. StarClan allowed the meaning of contact to begin and end there: with contact. Birdstar took a shuddering breath, though there were no lungs left to try and fill, before begrudgingly pulling away. Then she remained silent even longer while quietly taking Wolfblossom in. It was as if she was seeing her sister for the very first time; in a way, she was. They'd both become new cats since the final glances of that aching afternoon. New eyes met each other, grief-hollow blue to wounded green.

"I'm sorry," Birdstar said eventually. The words were heavy on her tongue. What did sorry do to reawaken her corpse? What did sorry do to keep the hurt from Wolfblossom? Nothing. "You should have known I went to that battle with one life. I should have told you." She shook her head. Should, should, should-- always should. Never did. Now, there was no time for doing. Birdstar squared her jaw and continued, "Typical SkyClan foolhardiness; I never thought I would die there. The naive part of me imagined none of us would." Her eyes drifted off Wolfblossom to search the surrounding stars. She knew their mother stood among them, but no pelts beyond their own were discernible in the mix. Looking back, "I regret leaving you. I regret leaving my son, I regret leaving SkyClan--I regret asking so much of you. But I do not regret what I did."

With a sweep of her tail, StarClan's vague nothingness reformed: sand and smooth stones beneath their paws, the hearty burble of swift-rushing water. The air was pleasantly warm like that of late new-leaf. Once Birdstar's favored corner of the territory, they now stood at the river, the cut between primeval forests and flat wetland. The former leader gave Wolfblossom a blink of encouragement and a beckoning tilt of her head when she moved away to approach the water's edge. "I was always going to die for SkyClan," she went on when Wolfblossom joined her. "This was sooner than I expected... but I was always going to. I never would have retired, or stepped down. Not when dying for the Clan was expected of me." Birdstar shrugged. Her reflection looked strange in the water, an uncertain ripple that bore little resemblance to a cat. Wolf, at least, looked much the same. "So... maybe I did expect to never leave that battlefield. I don't know, in all honesty. Whatever I thought there, I'd accepted this long ago. So."

Birdstar lifted her eyes off the water to blink seriously at Wolfblossom. Her sister before anything else; her best friend; her deputy. Her everything. Had she ever done a single act of good to preserve that everything? Birdstar flicked an ear to cast off the line of thought. "Do not live the rest of your life in grief for me. Don't live the rest of your life in crusade for me, Wolf." She swept her tail again, just to gesture to the familiar bit of territory surrounding them. "This place is plagued with more recent blood than any other corner of our territory. But once--remember green-leaf, when all was well?--once, it was beautiful. It can be again." Birdstar let the words hang in the air before she moved closer, leaning in to press her nose against Wolfblossom's. When she did so, the river-scene dropped away and they were brought to the nebula again. The tickle beginning in her pads felt stranger, when she was the one to bestow life rather than receive it.

"With this, I grant you the life of peace--to bring and to feel it. I want you to continue where I left SkyClan prior to leaf-fall: spare them bloodshed, bring them prosperity... All of that, of course. But I want you to find peace for yourself, too." Their noses remained pressed together for a few moments longer while the new life ebbed into Wolfblossom. It didn't burn, the way many blessings did: rather, it washed through her as pleasantly as the air around them, a soothing balm against any lingering sting. When the warmth began to ebb and she finally pulled away, Birdstar had yet more to say. "Please... do not carry on in torment. Don't think you have to." Her muzzle scrunched slightly. "Our lives aren't easy ones. We don't have to make them even harder for ourselves. Not everything that will happen to or within the Clan is your fault. Don't forget you can look to them for support--that's a lesson I never learned." After a brief pause, her voice grew softer. "I know this is difficult for you. The Clan knows. Don't pretend it isn't. Flagellance only in privacy still leads to bruises. Aching in privacy only breeds infection."

Then... there was still one final thing. Something Birdstar never even considered--naming a leader. Especially not the act of naming her sister as leader. Wolf would outlive her, she was bound to, but... Birdstar's whiskers twitched. She blinked out the fading corners of her vision and focused squarely on Wolfblossom again. "With that... you have received your nine lives. From now until you lose your last life--or retire--you will be known to the forest as Wolfstar." For the first time, her voice cracked with emotion around the new title. Birdstar pressed on swiftly before her throat would tighten beyond the ability to speak. "StarClan honors you as the new leader of SkyClan. Lead with your new blessings in mind, and you will lead them well."

Birdstar stepped closer again, leaning in for a final embrace. "I will be with you always," she whispered. "Even when it doesn't feel like it. Even when I'm powerless to make the greater council of the stars favor us. I'm with you. I'll always be watching you." She pulled away just to readjust, pressing the flat of her head gently against Wolfstar's. "Please look after Rainfrost for me. He won't be alright on his own. Look after them all, Wolfstar. You're going to be an amazing leader. There is no one else I would rather see in your place. Honeydew will be amazing, too--she was a good choice." Birdstar could only ignore the tug in her stomach trying to pull her back to Silverpelt for so long. Separating from Wolfstar fully, she looked her sister over again, taking in every fine detail before meeting her eyes. "Lead them well, Wolfstar. I love you--so much."

Eight cats had given her their blessing, with one final cat to go. That her beloved sister had not been one of the cats to approach her was not lost on Wolfblossom, and she had tamped down on her feeling of disappointment. Maybe she shouldn't have expected it, a bitterly pessimistic voice in the back of her mind said. How many cats had she lost without even the chance to say goodbye? Why would the stars allow her that much closure of a wound so fresh? Still, Wolfblossom kept the emotion from her face as she awaited the final cat who would approach her.

Finally, the stars seemed to part, and the grey tabby and white she-cat that bounded toward her had Wolfblossom stepping forward to meet her. Birdstar. Seeing her sister with stars in her pelt sent a fresh wave of grief through Wolfblossom as she pressed against her, tears blurring her vision as her composure finally cracked. "How am I supposed to do this without you, sis? Why did Perchstar have to kill you?" It was something Wolfblossom would never forgive, part of her couldn't forgive herself, either. Maybe if she had been there things would have turned out differently. Wolfblossom had been hunting instead though, and both her mother and sister were dead. Birdstar pulled back from her finally, and it took every ounce of restraint for Wolfblossom to not follow, like a clingy kit as her sister apologized.

"You- What?" She sputtered in disbelief at the former leader's words. Disbelief that turned from anger to confusion to grief and back as Wolfblossom shook her head, wide-eyed blue stare fixed on Birdstar. But I thought... Why didn't you tell me? The words would not come as the deputy struggled to process the words. Birdstar... Had been on her last life. She hadn't known.

Her sister's explanation cut to the bone. Stubborn, stupid she-cat. Prideful she-cat. Wolfblossom's ears flattened as she choked back a half-sob, half-growl of frustration. There was no changing what had happened, she knew that. But just when she'd started to begin to accept it Birdstar had taken what she knew and upended it. Why? She wanted to scream, What did this to you?

The starry plane around them shifted as Birdstar continued to speak, and Wolfblossom's tail lashed as she recognized where they stood. The riverbank that bordered Skyclan territory for a small stay, the warmth on the breeze reminding her of newleaf rather than the leafbare day it would be in the waking world. No blood stained the sandy banks, though it must have run red with it after the battle. Such a tranquil place tainted by stubborn pride and by self-righteous wrath. Birdstar moved to the water's edge, and Wolfblossom followed on heavy paws, her eyes on the starry figure as she gazed down at the watery depths. Birdstar turned back to her, and Wolfblossom's grief-stricken, wounded gaze met hers.

Crusade, oh how she wished to. Oh how she didn't, the conflict raging in her chest even now after her mother had spoken, while Birdstar continued to speak – plea. How could a place so tainted with the death of her loved ones ever be beautiful, after everything?

Birdstar's nose pressed against hers, the life she bestowed the direct opposite of Coldheart's, of Beechfang's. The memories of the past had never brought any of them peace, and knowing the battles her clan would continue to face most certainly didn't, either. How was she meant to feel peace when it seemed so very unattainable for her clan? The pleasant warmth that spread through her managed to chase away the physical agony of the previous lives she had received. If she could bring such to her clan, it would be a happy day. With the forest the way it was, the task she had set for herself as well as what Birdstar wanted of her seemed insurmountable. She had started toward it, but it felt like the most fragile of tree branches capable of supporting her weight, ready to snap and plunge her right back into what she wanted desperately to keep the clan above.

Her sister's soft voice started once more as the warmth of the life faded, and Wolfblossom found herself pressing forward, silently pressing into her sister's chest fur. "I'll... Try. But foxdung, Bird..." The hard lump in her throat was back, making speaking impossible.

Wolfstar. The name was familiar thanks to her predecessor, and yet strange to hear at the same time. Hers now, she reminded herself.

It didn't quite feel real, yet. It would sink in but... Her mind focused on Birdstar's final words. "I'll look after Rainfrost," She promised softly. She knew the smaller tom would need it, She had not been as close to him as with her own kits, but she would try. Birdstar had been his mother too, not just her sister. A lot of cats would grieve for a long time with her gone. Her nephew, her kits, Stormwatcher, Briarthorn, who had outlived her own deputy and successor. They would need her support just as much as she'd need theirs and she would do her best to provide it. Birdstar seemed to approve of Honeydew too, a choice that Wolfstar had found herself... Not exactly second guessing, but still questioning, with how so many of her clanmates had reacted. In time they would see the reasoning for her choice and call it justified... She hoped. That Birdstar approved meant a lot.

"Your faith in me won't be misplaced." She vowed quietly. Part of her was still doubtful, unconvinced. She tried to silence it. She was Skyclan's leader in name now and she would do everything she could for them, everything she could to legitimize it in the eyes of her clanmates as well as the stars. "Love you too, Bird." She added, vision blurring before finally going dark.

The tabby and white Skyclanner blinked open her eyes to see the moonstone in front of her, the light from before extinguished. The stone floor of the cavern was cold as she stretched stiff limbs, stumbling to her paws.

Wolfstar. She was Wolfstar, now. If there had been anything in her stomach, it would have made an unfortunate reappearance as the realization dawned on her. This was no longer a dream, no longer a 'what-if.' The starry visages of the cats who had granted her lives flashed in her mind.. They believed in her, for some strange, inexplicable reason. They had gifted her power to lead with.

Perhaps, she thought, it was time to do so.

Turning, Wolfstar retraced her pawsteps through the tunnel until she stood blinking in the dawn light. The territories stretched out below highstones, rolling moors turning into dense forest, turning into rocky woods and tall pines. So much farther to walk, but by evening she would be home and Skyclan would have their leader.

---

The text within blockquotes was written by the following people, thank you all for the help!

Mr. Worm (Flybot) - Patience
Coldheart (Kitty) - Battle Prowess
Bloodstrike (Tara) - Indomitable Will
Copperfox (Tara) - Strength
Wolfstar (JJ) - Perseverance
Dovefrost (Reaper King) - Love
Beechfang (kj) - Memory/Reflection
Crowstar (Reaper King) - Devotion
Birdstar (downfive) - Peace