literature

A New Star (Part Two)

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Cottondust had smiled as Patchstar began to speak, pleased that they had in fact got the sign that Plumblossom received -- and she was to be DawnClan's Leader. Then, the spotted she-cat she felt herself stop.

This Leader's Ceremony is not for you.

Not her leader ceremony? The speckled she-cat bit her lip, now feeling unsure. Desperately, she cast a glance at Fallenstar for a moment in a silent plea for an explanation, only to get a blank stare back. The gathered party looked back at Patchstar, with Cottondust deep in thought. What could that even mean?

Eventually, the only word that escaped her mouth was a very unsure: "Alright...?" Not the smoothest reply, but it was something. Her words hung in the air as she waited for an explanation. All ears were focused on the former MoonClan leader.

Patchstar frowned at her kin. "I'm sorry it had to be this way, but because of how Cinderstar stepped down--Well, she hasn't technically given up her remaining lives yet, so you will not be receiving any. Such is the way," she explained.

Of course, Fallenstar realized, when Cinderstar stepped down she never made her way to the Moon Tree to remove her extra lives, however that may be. 

"Cinderstar was injured," Plumblossom piped up, glancing between Cottondust and Patchstar, voicing Fallenstar's thoughts. "She wasn't able to get to the Moon Tree, what with her leg--perhaps in time, she could--"

"No," Patchstar cut off the Medicine Cat. "It's not just that. Cinderstar has broken more than one rule of the Warrior Code, and now she is running away from her responsibilities. This is her punishment."

A striped tail flicked with annoyance. "Why take it out on Cottondust, then?" Fallenstar grumbled, looking at his adopted daughter. "She didn't do anything wrong--and you were the ones who chose her to take over DawnClan!"

Patchstar held up her tail to silence her grandson, who sat down quietly. Cottondust looked at her paws for a moment, but then nodded. It... did make sense, she supposed. She wasn't sure if that meant she'd never get her lives, but she supposed at least it was for now. It was ultimately StarClan's decision anyway...right?

"That, um, makes sense... I think." She mewed quietly, "But you, um..." she shifted her gaze at the old MoonClan leader once again. "You said that this Leader Ceremony wasn't for me. Does that, um, mean that...Fallenstar...?"

Fallenstar shrugged, looking back at his daughter. "I...?" he started, but was interrupted.

"That's right," Patchstar nodded, "he has finally proven himself worthy in StarClan's eyes of receiving his nine lives."

Mothtrail, Plumblossom and Cottondust took a step back, with the speckled she-cat taking a moment to smile slightly at Fallenstar. She was glad he was getting his lives now, even if she wasn't-- it had been a long time and Cottondust, whilst still ever so slightly skeptical of the MoonClan leader she called Father, felt that he'd changed and grown into a good leader over the past moons. Many of her Clanmates would agree; He deserved this, by now.

She and the two Medicine Cats hovered back, allowing the gray tabby to take his place closest to the StarClanners who were now gathering closer. Fallenstar stepped forward awkwardly, not sure of what to do -- he'd never seen a Leader's Ceremony before, mostly due to his own actions. Whoops.

He looked back for just a moment, making eye contact with Cottondust. His eyes were sorrowful, as if to say I'm Sorry, which he was; they came here for her, not for him. Her smile returned, relieving some of his nerves.

The striped tom turned back to Patchstar. As soon as he made eye contact with her, he felt his muscles tense up. His needle-like claws dug into the starry ground, holding him in place--not that he could have moved anyway. He felt the tiniest prick of pain deep in his belly, like a kitten's claw prodding his delicate skin.

When a Leader gets their new lives, their old one is stripped away before they receive their new ones. Fallenstar had heard one of the Elders say that, long, long ago. The words were crisp in his mind though, as if the Elder had just clearly said it directly into the tabby's mind. This pain was manageable though, not anything like he would have suspected.

Patchstar was joined by seven other cats on either side of her. All of them he recognized...save one. It was a black and white she-cat who stepped forward first, her expression soft.

"Morningshine," Fallenstar's voice was quiet, full of regret. It was his first time looking upon this she-cat's face and feeling remorse for his actions.

Her voice was soothing as she got closer to him. "Hello, Fallenstar," she greeted. "I have been watching you as you've taken care of Timidbreeze and your kits...to the best of your ability."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She smiled as she padded forward and placed her nose on his forehead. "With this life, I give you forgiveness. Use it for your Clanmates, your allies, and your enemies. To uphold the Warrior Code and to protect your own with the minimum amount of heartache. Use it for yourself, so you can be the best leader you can be to your Clan."

Fallenstar shuddered as this new life flowed through him, warm and full of love. His mind flashed back to his kits, his mate; then to his brothers, his father and mother. Lastly, he thought of himself, as Morningshine removed her nose from his skin, the warmth faded and Fallenstar panted, trying to catch his breath, not realizing he hadn't been breathing for a while.

The StarClanners waited for him to recompose himself, Cottondust and the two Medicine Cats watched from the sidelines. The speckled she-cat frowned as she watched. Would she ever get to go through with her own Ceremony?

The next StarClan cat to step forward was a creamy tom with deep scars across his face and deep copper eyes. His curled tail lay comfortably over his starry back as he neared the MoonClan leader.

"Greetings, Fallenstar," the tom nodded to his kin.

"Dave," Fallenstar bowed his head to his elder Warrior, Patchstar's mate.

Dave smirked. "Miss me?" He asked, before putting his nose to Fallenstar's head. "With this life, I give you the gift of always seeing things clearly. This ability is essential for a leader; to not let others cloud your judgement, to allow yourself to see the bigger picture. I know you will use this to lead your Clan well."

Fallenstar felt the life from Dave rush through him, not as gentle as Morningshine's had been. His claws were starting to hurt from digging into the ground, his muscles spasmed with the new energy that was rushing through him. It seemed to last forever, but yet also only an instant; for as soon as it had begun, it was over.

With the ringtail sitting back in his rightful spot amongst his mate and former Clanmates, another figure stood up and made her way closer to Fallenstar. The apprentice-sized she-cat had never been one to smile around him when she was alive, but she sure was smiling now.

Milkpaw looked perfect. Radiant, even. Her gray and white fur was glossy and danced like the night sky. Much better than the last time Fallenstar had seen her, after the accident with the Monster. She greeted him in a voice he'd almost forgotten.

"Fallenstar." She waited for him to bow his head so she could reach it with her nose. "With this life, I give you the gift of confidence. I know you act a big game like you have all the confidence in the world, but I've come to know that you sometimes felt as insecure as I did. I want you to walk tall and remember you are a chosen leader of MoonClan -- as well as a great father."

The life that entered him now seemed to be full of nothing but pain, worse than Dave's was. It eased up at the end, almost leaving him sleepy. Milkpaw smiled at her adopted father one last time before stepping back and taking her place beside Dave.

The one cat that Fallenstar did not recognize stood next. He had a deep reddish-brown tabby coat with a white chest and belly, a noticeable white marking on his face. Fallenstar lowered his head as the large tom neared him, he was bigger than Deathsong was, but had Fallenstar's green eyes.

The stranger dipped his head in return, "It's nice to finally meet you," he mewed. "My name is Pebbletail. I was Cursedstar's mate."

It clicked. "She named PebbleClan after you," Fallenstar responded quietly, recognizing that this Warrior was his grandfather. His kin. Pebbletail nodded, his muscular tail slicing through the air behind him. His emerald eyes were light with familiarity.

Without wasting any more time, the large warrior pressed his nose to Fallenstar's forehead. "With this life, I give you the knowledge of sacrifice. I know far too well what the price of a life is, and what you must sacrifice to achieve what's right. I hope you will use this gift in the same way: to be able to do what is necessary in order to do what is right."

Pebbletail's life was -- thankfully -- less painful than Milkpaw's. It was full of sadness, however. Fallenstar could feel the pang of guilt a Warrior feels when leaving his Clan and family behind, and not knowing whether this was the right thing to do. He felt the sorrow of knowing he wouldn't make it to see what they had worked for, he wouldn't see his kits grown up. Fallenstar thought of his kits now, how they were almost apprentice age, and how awful he would feel if he were to never see them get their Warrior names.

Just like that, it was over, and Fallenstar found himself gasping for air again. Pebbletail waited for a moment until Fallenstar was able to look back up to see his nod before the dark brown tabby sat back down.

It was Cursedstar, Pebbletail's mate, who stood up next. The first PebbleClan leader walked forward with such grace and elegance Fallenstar could have sworn she was only gliding. She greeted him like the others, a hint of a smile tugging at her muzzle before she pressed her nose to his head. 

"Fallenstar, with this life I give you the strength of mind. I know the toll one takes when leading a Clan, and the weight on your shoulders that no amount of training could ever hope to lift. I believe you have changed since your early days as a leader, but I will warn you now that if you threaten my Clan again, StarClan will deliver their swift justice to you. My hope is that you use my gift wisely, and lead your Clan honorably."

A wave of anguish and tenseness ran through him now. The only way he could think to describe it would be "heavy"--surely Cursedstar felt this burden herself, starting a new Clan with only her family and a few of her Clanmates and trying to lead them with no former training? Fallenstar could hardly believe a cat could bear such a thing, especially one who was called so young like Cursedstar was...and with a new litter of kits.

The pain subsided after a while, but lingered just enough like a foul piece of prey. Cursedstar's familiar icy blue eyes were unwavering, holding her threat true. Fallenstar averted his eyes to show submission, something he wouldn't have done in the early moons of his Leadership.

The familiarity of Cursedstar's eyes were realized once Fallenstar met the gaze of his mother, Icebreath. Her equally chilly blue eyes were some he hadn't seen for moons, but they still bore into him and made him feel like he was a kitten who was caught sneaking a piece of prey.

"Hello," he mumbled to his mother as she neared him. She looked thinner than he remembered -- though the scar on her side was hidden mostly by the stars that now moved freely around in her pelt, he could still make it out. So familiar, but so new.

"Hello, my son," Icebreath answered back in a voice that seemed more mature than Fallenstar ever remembered. He'd spent so much of his kithood and early apprenticeship avoiding his mother that she'd become more like a distant legend than a fond memory. "I see you're still getting into trouble."

Fallenstar smirked at that, which brought out a small smile from the black she-cat. She padded forward and waited for Fallenstar to lower his head -- he hadn't realized he was that much taller than she was. Icebreath had always been small, he decided. Like Timidbreeze.

Placing her nose on his head, she began, "With this life I give you decisiveness and ambition. I know you are already well acquainted with the ability to know what you want and how to get it, but with this gift I give you, I hope you will put it more towards what your Clanmates need and how to best serve and lead them. MoonClan needs a leader like that, and I think you can fill those pawsteps."

Icebreath's life was full of a mixture of uncertainty and fear, nothing that Fallenstar hadn't felt himself, but also of security and sound reasoning. 

As she pulled away, Fallenstar called out to her, "Wait! I wanted to ask you, about the voices--"

"You need to focus on leading your Clan," Icebreath said back. "Your life doesn't just belong to you anymore."

Fallenstar frowned. After his talk with Wishspirit and Deathsong about their powers -- if they could even call them that -- he'd been more and more curious about his mother's inherent ability to hear dead cats just like he could. He wanted to know how, and why, and what she heard. Things she'd never told Deathsong. Things she isn't telling him now.

He wondered if he would be able to corner her later, somehow. Find out the answers then.

The MoonClan leader's legs were beginning to shake from the stress of it all. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was til just now. Even though he was already asleep, he felt like he needed to nap for moons. How many more until this was over? Morningshine, Dave, Milkpaw, Pebbletail, Cursedstar, Icebreath..that made six. Six out of nine.

It's been a long night.

Fallenstar looked back to where Cottondust, Plumblossom and Mothtrail were. They were watching respectfully from a distance, Cottondust's tail wrapped around her paws. Fallenstar wondered for a second if Cottondust would have been able to handle the pain of the lives she would have gotten.

Probably. She's a tough one.

Joltflash was the next to step forward to meet him. Fallenstar felt a wave of -- fear? guilt? pity? -- whatever it was, it was strong, and he had to mentally keep himself from backing away from the former deputy. Her piercing blue eyes stared at him coldly. The tabby wondered why she'd been chosen to give a life to him.

"Fallenstar," she hissed, but her eyes were light, as if she was just teasing him. "I'm still not happy about you stealing my leadership from me." Obviously. "But, seeing as how now you are the leader, I will give you something useful to lead your Clan with."

The gray tom almost shrunk away. What gift would Joltflash, the cat he'd murdered for power, give him?

She moved forward swiftly to place her nose on his forehead. "With this life, I give you the gift of Quick Thinking. Use it well to solve problems and gain the advantage."

It was a short and sweet message, but the life that now filled him seemed to drag on forever. So much pain, and heartache, and sorrow. Joltflash definitely did not lead a quiet life. He stood panting by the end of it, like many of the others, though this time he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to regain his breath.

The tortoiseshell leader moved her way close to Fallenstar just as Joltflash had pulled away. She waited patiently for Fallenstar to be able to look up at her before proceeding.

Patchstar nuzzled her nose gently onto Fallenstar's head, barely caressing his fur. "Fallenstar," she addressed him, "with your final life, I give you love. The ability to listen and understand another without clouded judgement or preconceived notions. I hope this will benefit not only your Clan and your family, but also your allies."

The life that flowed from Patchstar was nothing but warmth and love. Even the parts that tasted of sadness were overwhelmed with her patience and understanding.



When she pulled herself away, Fallenstar realized what she had said. "Wait, last life?" he asked, "but...that's only eight?"

The tortoiseshell turned to look over her shoulder at him. "Could you have already forgotten about your first?"

At first, he looked towards Morningshine, confused. Then he realized what Patchstar could have meant--his mind raced back in his memory to the last time he was here, in StarClan. He had received a life that time. He had all nine lives now.

He could see the small shape of Muddykit crouching beside Morningshine, a small smile on his face. Fallenstar returned the smile, gentle and warm. He mouthed a thank you to his son, dipping his head, to which Muddykit returned the gesture.

"Do we go home now?" Cottondust asked, a little let down.

Patchstar had turned before rejoining her companions to pad towards Cottondust and the others. She called the speckled she-cat forward, who was confused. "I thought I didn't get a ceremony today?" She asked, curious but hopeful that StarClan had changed their minds.

The tortoiseshell shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, we cannot give you your nine lives, Cottondust," she repeated. "However, you are still StarClan's chosen leader for DawnClan, and as such, we will give you your new name, as a leader."

She pulled Cottondust to stand where Fallenstar just was, the tabby having backed up a few paces. Patchstar called out to her fellow StarClan warriors, "Warriors of StarClan, we have chosen Cottondust to be the new Leader of DawnClan. From this moment on, you shall no longer be known as Cottondust. I instead hail you by your new name, Cottonstar. Your old life is no more. Though you have not received the nine lives of a leader, StarClan grants you the guardianship of DawnClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live your life with pride and dignity. Perhaps one day you will return here and we will be able to bestow upon you the nine lives of a Leader."

She licked Cottonstar's head with a rasp of her tongue, and Cottonstar returned it with a lick to the tortoiseshell's shoulder, much like a new Warrior would do to their leader.

It was time for StarClan to take their leave, and Patchstar dismissed the new DawnClan leader and her comrades were dismissed with a flick of her patched tail. "Oh, and Fallenstar," she called out, and the MoonClanner made eye contact with his kin. Joltflash stepped up beside Patchstar, like they used to when they were in charge. Patchstar smiled at him, "We'll be watching you."

--

Cottonstar awoke within the hollow of the Moon Tree, beside her old Clanmates--and her new ones. Despite not having the nine lives of a leader that she should have, she did get her new name. Plumblossom awoke next, stretching and muttering something about StarClan's mysterious ways. Fallenstar and Mothtrail woke last, standing and taking the exit of the tree.

The speckled DawnClan leader cleared her throat, once she was sure no warriors were around to overhear. "Can we...can we keep it a secret that I don't have my nine lives? Between us?" she wondered aloud, staring into the eyes of her companions.

"Of course, Cottonstar," Plumblossom nodded. "No one will know." Fallenstar and Mothtrail nodded in agreement.

"Are you two headed back to DawnClan now?" Fallenstar asked, his voice soft.

Cottonstar turned to her medicine cat. "You go on ahead," she mewed to the smaller she-cat. "I want to...say goodbye to my old Clanmates. One last time." She looked at her adopted father for his permission.

"I think that would be wonderful," Fallenstar nodded. "After all, they're going to miss you so much. MoonClan won't be the same without you."

The spotted she-cat smiled, "Let's go, then." 
Part Two Of Two

A follow-up to Nugchuppy's piece.

I'm so excited for both of these cute leaders. Congrats to us, heehee!

All characters (c) Their respective Owners
© 2015 - 2024 PatchyFallenstar
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Emberria's avatar
Ahhh congrats Fallen!! ~