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[center][hider=Fernstar's Nine Lives Ceremony][center]Drawing in a deep breath, Fernstar closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. She was sure that the warriors of StarClan would be able to sense it if she came to them laden with fear and racing thoughts. [color=00FA9A][i]WillowClan needs a leader. A leader blessed by StarClan who will serve them for many moons to come. This moment is everything.[/i][/color] Across the pool, she saw her medicine cat, his body limp as a piece of fresh kill on the cold stone. She sighed and gazed up towards the sky through the opening in the top of the mountain. The stars glittered against the pitch black sky and she suddenly felt the presence of the ancient warriors her Mother had spoken of. Bending her head down towards the pool, cold shot through her body as she felt the icy temperature seep through her nose. She lapped at the water for a few heartbeats, then realized she had started to feel very dizzy. As she laid her head against the cold stone to steady herself, her paws and pelt began to feel hot and tingly. She winced as the pain grew worse. Her pelt felt as if it was burning, and her head swam with nausea. Eventually, when the pain became too much to bear, she surrendered and let her body go limp as she floated into a very deep and uncomfortable sleep.[/center]
[center]When Fernstar opened her eyes, she was standing in a clearing and the sun shone brighter than she had ever seen. Shifting in every direction, she marveled at the giant trees surrounding the clearing and the clear sounds of prey scuttling through the undergrowth. These cats must never be hungry. It seems like it’s always greenleaf here. . . As her thought trailed off, she heard a slight rustling in the bushes and she slowly turned around and locked eyes with a slender silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes. She also noticed that even though her pelt was made of stars, multiple scars from her physical life were visible on her flanks. The she-cat padded forward and sat down less than a tail length away, seeming to study Fernstar curiously. [b]"Welcome Fernsky, my name is Ivypool. In accordance with StarClan’s traditions, we will be calling you by the Warrior name you gave yourself in honor of your Mother, until your nine lives ceremony is complete."[/b] Fernsky dipped her head with immense respect in her voice and replied, [color=00FA9A][b]“Of course Ivypool, I want nothing more than to respect the wishes of StarClan and carry on their traditions.”[/b][/color] Ivypool continued. [b]"Including myself, you will now meet other ancient members of the original five Clans who lived in the forest and around the lake so many moons ago. Listen and feel the wisdom they will pass on to you. Learn from their stories and carry this knowledge with you every sunrise you awake in your nest, ready to serve WillowClan as their leader."[/b] Upon finishing her greeting, Fernsky watched in amazement as many other cats emerged from the undergrowth and padded into positions surrounding her, forming a ring of mist and starlike wonder. She suddenly realized she hadn’t seen her medicine cat, and pondered where he could be in this dazzling forest. Why hadn’t he appeared in the same clearing as her? [color=00FA9A][i]Nevermind that right now![/i][/color] she thought to herself. She reconnected her eyes with Ivypool and sat up as straight as she could, with her tail neatly wrapped around her paws.[/center]
[center]Breaking the ranks of the circle, Ivypool padded up to her again and touched her head to the top of Fernsky’s. [b]"With your first life, I give you loyalty. During my life in ThunderClan, I found myself being led astray by cats of the Dark Forest, with the promise of making me the best Warrior I could be. But these cats only wanted to poison my heart and turn me against ThunderClan to serve their dark purposes. The battle that unfolded between the Dark Forest cats and the four Clans was the bloodiest they had ever seen, but their victory was great and it reminded them of how strong each Warrior could be if they stayed loyal to their Clans, until their death. May you never forget how much your Clan needs your guidance and wisdom, and may your heart never stray from your Clanmates."[/b] Ivypool returned to her place among the others and another she-cat padded towards Fernsky. [b]"My name is Leafpool. I was one of ThunderClan’s medicine cats. This she-cat had a warm softness about her that instantly made Fernsky feel welcomed, and she let a purr escape her throat. With your second life, I give you compassion. Your Warriors may sometimes make decisions you don’t agree with or lash out at you because of aches in their hearts. May you always be able to see through their hurt or anger and show them love."[/b] Leafpool smiled at Fernsky then returned to her place in the circle. Next, a pale orange she-cat approached her. [b]"My name is Mothwing, of RiverClan. With your third life, I give you intuition. During my waking life, I was the only medicine cat in the history of the Clans to not believe in StarClan."[/b] Mothwing broke eye contact with her and glanced around the circle of starry cats with a smile on her face. [b]"Of course now I see I was wrong, and I am so thankful that StarClan accepted me into their ranks, besides my lack of faith. But while I was alive, I served my leader Mistystar loyalty and gave her guidance that was as truthful as any other medicine cat. May you always remember to look inside yourself and trust what you know is right."[/b][/center]
[center]Before Mothwing had sat down in her position in the circle again, a strong dark brown and black tabby tom was padding towards her with his head held high. He stood in front of her without sitting down and said, [b]"I am Tigerstar of ShadowClan. With your fourth life, I give you bravery."[/b] As the strong tom touched his muzzle to the top of Fernsky’s head, she felt a surge of confidence and sat up straighter to look him in the eye. [b]"When I became leader, the Clan was falling apart. We were devastated by the impact of Darktail and his rouges, and we lost many Warriors. Agreeing to become their leader and repair the Clan was the hardest task I ever faced. But with my mate and my Clanmates by my side, we repaired the Clan and healed from Darktail’s fury. May you always stand your ground when your Clan faces difficulty, and never weaken your resolve."[/b] With a defining lash of his tail, Tigerstar returned to the ranks of the ancient StarClan cats and looked around with his head held high. Padding lightly forward, a pale tan tabby she-cat rested her head on Fernsky's and whispered, [b]"My name is Leafstar, former leader of SkyClan. When my Clan was driven from our home in the mountains, we lost many warriors and I feared the Clan would never recover. But SkyClan was strong, and after long lost kin returned to us, we were able to make a home for ourselves beside the other four Clans at the lake, where we knew we belonged. With your fifth life, I give you resilience. Your Clan will face troubles; battles, sickness and hunger. But as their leader, it is your job to remain strong and use your strength to guide your Warriors through those times. May your heart never grow weary."[/b] The pretty she-cat rounded on her paws and trotted back to her place next to Tigerstar and they gave each other a knowing glance.[/center]
[center]Fernsky's pelt prickled with anxiousness and excitement. Even though she only had five of the nine lives her StarClan ancestors would give her, she already felt so strong and more dedicated to her Clan than she ever had. She drew in a deep breath as another she-cat padded towards her. Her fur was long and her black and white pelt looked softer than moss in greenleaf. [b]"I’m Violetshine. My heart was full of uncertainty and pain when I was an apprentice in ShadowClan. After being separated from my sister and forced to live in a Clan where I didn’t belong, I knew none of it was right for me. When I discovered my father Hawkwing, the deputy of SkyClan was alive, I knew I needed to be with him. And even though my sister begged me for moons to join her in ThunderClan, my heart was being pulled towards SkyClan and I couldn’t ignore it. With your sixth life, I give you self-awareness. Your Clan cannot prosper if you are not able to know your heart and guide yourself as a leader. May you always look deep into yourself, and never lose your spirit."[/b] A sleek furred silver and grey she-cat padded towards Fernsky with a mixture of pride and pain on her face. She looked as if she had regrets in her waking life and Fernsky was eager to hear her story. [b]"I am Needletail. My life as a ShadowClan Warrior wasn’t easy. My Clan was falling apart under the corrupted leadership of Darktail and Warriors were abandoning us seemingly every moon. I regret this with all my heart now but, I was one of them. Darktail manipulated me by making me his senior advisor, and for once in my life, I felt loved. Respected even. I left the ShadowClan camp and became his Kin."[/b] She turned her pained expression on Violetshine and let a small smile flash across her muzzle. [b]"I realized how terrifying Darktail actually was when he and his Kinmate Rain tried to make me kill Violetshine in cold blood. I died helping her escape."[/b] She hung her head and her pained expression faded as she met eyes with Fernsky. [b]"With your seventh life, I give you judgement. The decisions you make for your Clan are the most important ones you have, and cannot be wasted. Never let pride, pain or desperation cloud your judgement."[/b] She padded back to her place in the circle, nudging a dark brown tom aside so she could sit next to Violetshine. Fernsky agreed that was where Needletail belonged.[/center]
[center] The brown tom flicked his tail in playful annoyance and decided it was his turn to speak with her. Fernsky couldn’t help but notice how attractive this tom was, and she quickly began to clean a forepaw in embarrassment, hoping he wouldn’t notice. The tom sat in front of her and smiled. [b]"I am Oakheart of RiverClan. Unlike Needletail, I did not grow up with painful hardships. I trained dutifully and cared for my brother Crookedjaw when our Mother Rainflower disowned him. When he claimed the leader position, he asked me to be deputy, but I refused. I was not comfortable having that amount of power. I later fell in love with a ThunderClan Warrior named Bluefur, and she bore my kits. I was heartbroken when she decided to raise them in ThunderClan, and they had no knowledge that I was their Father. But I loved them with all my heart and they later came back to me, after Bluefur surrendered them to assume the deputy position of ThunderClan. And thank StarClan she did. . ."[/b] He let his voice trail off, as if he didn’t want to speak of the rest. [b]"With your eighth life, I give you dignity. Your Clanmates need to respect you as their leader, and you need to give them every reason to believe you deserve it. May you always hold your head high and lead your Clan with dignity and grace."[/b] When Oakheart touched his muzzle to the top of Fernsky’s head, she couldn’t stop a small shudder. He glanced at her with a proud look in his eyes and returned to his place. The last cat to pad up to her was a small black and white tom. Wasting no time, he sat in front of her and gave her a stern look. After a couple heartbeats, he placed his muzzle on top of her head and said in a low voice, [b]"I am Harestar, and with your final life I give you humility. My leadership of WindClan was during a very difficult time for the Clans around the lake. One of the most evil cats the Clans have ever known severed the connection between StarClan and the living cats and possessed the body of the ThunderClan leader, Bramblestar. For a while, I supported the Impostor because I thought he was restoring the Warrior Code and enforcing it the way it once was. However, I later realized I was wrong, and that like many others, I had been led astray by Ashfur’s manipulative tactics. For the sake of my Clan, I needed to be humble and admit my mistake. As leader of your Clan, you need to realize you will not always be right, and it is imperative that you admit your mistakes when you make them."[/b][/center]
[center] As Harestar turned and began to pad towards his palace in the circle once more, Ivypool spoke again raising her voice in a triumphant yowl. [b]"We are honored that you have chosen to revive the traditions of the Warrior Clans, and we grant you the guardianship of WillowClan. All spirits of StarClan now hail you by your new name; Fernstar. Your old life is no more and you have now received the nine lives of a leader. Defend your Clan well and care for the young and old. Honor your ancestors and the traditions of the Warrior Code. Live each life with pride and dignity."[/b] The spirits of StarClan howled Fernstar’s new name and she felt a swell of warmth swim through her pelt. When the yowls died down, Oakheart smiled at her and said in a soft voice, [b]"Now go; your Clan is waiting to congratulate their leader."[/b] Fernstar dipped her head to Oakheart and smiled at all the StarClan spirits. [color=00FA9A][b]“I am so thankful to receive your blessing and continue the Clan’s magnificent legacy here beside the rapids. My heart will always be open to your guidance and wisdom.”[/b][/color] With more hope in her heart than she had ever felt, she laid down on the soft grass of StarClan’s hunting grounds and closed her eyes.[/center]
[center] When she awoke, she was back at the Moonpool, the stars still glistening on the surface of the water. She felt light headed and a little confused, but when she got to her paws, she felt strong and filled with newfound vigor. Straining her eyes against the black, she looked across to the other side of the pool and saw Blackpelt, eyes still closed, dreaming in StarClan. Waiting for him to wake, she folded her paws under her chest and gazed up at the stars through the large gash in the mountaintop. [color=00FA9A][i]Thank you StarClan. I’m ready.[/i][/color][/center][/hider][/center]