Deadfrost's Leader Ceremony

Deadfrost almost stumbled on a tree root, and fell into a pool of thick, sticky mud. But luckily, he'd regained balance in time.
The silver tom was beyond nervous; for his destination was Highstones, on his way to be ThunderClan's leader.
He had chosen Silversoul to come.
"Come on," he called to her. "We have to be there before sundown."
He glanced up ahead and saw the distant shape of Highstones.

Silversoul tagged wearily behind; she'd not been expecting so many sharp stones on the path.
"Coming."
She called, speeding up to catch up to him.

He glanced back and kept moving, ears flat. "This should be Leopardheart, not me," he murmured sadly, and hopped over a tree stump fallen during a storm.
They were almost there.

"You would have come anyway. It was obvious that you two were... close."
She said quietly, leaping the tree in two bounds.

He frowned, the shook his head. "She was like a mentor to me."
He dodged another mud puddle, and pushed through some bushes. In front of them lie the open moorland, Featherstar's territory. "Come on, Featherstar will let us cross."
He began bounding into the hills.

Silversoul began bounding too, hoping that she wasn't too far behind.
"To not allow us would be like to not allow StarClan."
She remarked.

"Yes," Deadfrost agreed. "But I don't think she wouldn't disapprove of seeing me." He gave a grin, which quickly disappeared when the cave of Mothermouth drew close.
He ran a bit faster, eager to get this over with. Deadfrost halted at the entrance and stared inside.

Her tail flicked with anxiety as she halted, too.
"Do I need to go with you?"
She asked quietly, able to tell that the ground dropped steeply into a cave.

He shook his head, though not sure. "No.. I don't think so. Well... Goodbye. See you later."
He took one, last look at the outside, and then was swallowed by darkness.

She nodded, then sat to the side of the cave.
"I guess I'll just guard the entrance..."
She mumbled.

Deadfrost was unsure of where to go, so he followed the curving feel of the tunnel. The air got very damp, quickly, until he came to the opening of the tunnel.


Now, he was inside a large chasm, and the only thing in it was, sitting in the very center, a glowing crystal, illuminated by a pale shaft of moonlight from a crack in the roof of the cave.
Cautiously, he padded up to the beautiful translucent stone, and crouched down in front of it. For what seemed like an eon, he stared at it, marveling it's sheen.
I can't just sit here... Deadfrost took a deep breath and pressed his nose to the stone.
It was cold, and it turned his paws numb, like they were frozen to the floor of the cavern.
And then, everything of the real world was gone.



Deadfrost opened his eyes, to find a pretty, starlit clearing. But most amazing of all was what he saw after his vision cleared.
Standing in a neat row, nine shining cats were assembled. Their pelts glowed like the stars themselves, and their eyes blazed like the heat of the sun.
He recognized them all, but his mouth was shut by an invisible clamp.
Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Welcome, Deadfrost."
The tom gulped.
"Are you ready to receive your leader lives and name?"
"I am." It was almost a squeak.


The first cat to step up to him was a cat he'd only met once; his dead older brother Jaggedlines. He was quite tall. He touched his nose to Deadfrost's head.
"With this life I give your endurance. Use it to keep going and never give up."
A crack of pain jolted through Deadfrost's body, and he was startled. Pain..?

Another cat came up from behind Jaggedlines. It was Angelclaw, his first apprentice. He gave her a weak smile as she sat in front of him.
"With this life I give you humor. Use it to lighten downed spirits of others and your own."
Deadfrost almost began to laugh as a tickling sensation crawled over his fur, but it vanished quickly.

The third cat was Deadfrost's father, whom he'd never known, Blackeyes. His white pelt made his black-patched eyes look like mud splatters.
He wore a large smile. "My son. With this life, I give you pride and humility. Use it to know when you should be ashamed or proud of others and you."
Faces of cats and their voices swarmed throughout Deadfrost's mind like bees. He felt almost sick.

Moosepelt approached him now, Deadfrost's former mentor. His death was still fresh in Deadfrost's mind.
"With this life I give you might of mind and muscle. Use it to destroy barriers of any kind in your way."
Now, Deadfrost's entire body felt weighed down by stones, but he felt no pain. It soon ebbed away.

The next cat, Deadfrost hadn't seen since he was a tiny kit. It was Brightfire, the former ThunderClan medicine cat. She blinked and sat down in front of him.
"With this life, I give you life. Use it to live and work for your Clan to the fullest."
Now, Deadfrost was relieved to feel energy gather withing him, like he'd just taken a long, much-needed drink.

The next cat Deadfrost knew all to well. It was his first son, Rainpaw.
He looked so full of life, so vivid, unlike his death, bitten and bloody.
The little cat strained to stretch, and touch his father's forehead. Then they shared a short father-son moment.
"With this life I give you hope. Use it to always have faith in your Clan, and in your dreams."
Deadfrost's mind delved into a dark pit, and he saw himself clinging to a ball of light. It faded away slowly, and Rainpaw stepped back.

The seventh cat brought so many memories back, from Deadfrost's days as a kit, the scent of milk heavy in the air..
It was none other than Shiningpride, his beloved mother. Her eyes glittered with pride for her son.
"Precious, precious son.. with this life I give you love and compassion. Use it to care for all, like I did for you."
The warmth that followed erased all the stress and pain, melting over him like a shower in sunlight. Shiningpride gave Deadfrost a lick to the head, and moved back.

There were three cats left standing before him. One was Rainpaw, another Shiningpride, and the other cat was someone who made his heart twist and leap.
It was Sunset, his deceased sister that he missed so much. She too, looked revived from the time of her death. She sat down in front of her brother and cocked her head, smiling. "Deadfrost, my brother and my friend. I forgive you for all the disputes we had. And you and I both wish I was still down there with the Clan, but life goes on." She paused for a moment, then continued: "With this life I give you leadership, wisdom, and friendship. Use it to blaze at the head of ThunderClan, and use it to cherish the memories you have and will have. And from this moment on, you shall be called Deadstar."
An unbearable, awful pain came, and it felt as though a thousand claws were tearing at his flesh. As it ebbed away, he began was shaking.

Rainpaw, Shiningpride, and Sunset began to chant, "Deadstar! Deadstar! Deadstar!"


As their starry bodies began to fade, Deadstar noticed that only eight cats had given him lives.
He frantically tried to move, but he couldn't.
"Wait!" He wailed, "I don't have all nine-"
It was too late; everything went black again.

Deadstar awoke with a fearsome start, and and shot to four wobbling legs. He tottered back up the tunnel, thoughts making his mind spin.
I only got eight lives... and where were Goldenstar and Leopardheart?
The thought-twister ended when Deadstar emerged into the world again, almost bumping into Silversoul.
He decided not to tell her about the broken ceremony. "Come on," he murmured, allowing a grin. "Let's go home."

OOC: LE END.