The Starcave

[Zero]

Originally Posted by Hexict

@Suspiciousmindz

A dark grey tabby stood back and watched as everyone gave the new Windclan leader lives. Even though this was the second life he'd give to a leader, Northpath still felt extremely nervous. He feared that he would say the wrong thing - though he had the same fear when during Russetstar's ceremony, and he hadn't messed up. Or at least he hadn't thought he had. He shook out his star cover pelt before moving towards the orange tom.

The young tom stepped forward and approached Blazingstorm as Mousetracker retreated among the stars in the same manner as the others had done after finishing with giving the flame colored tom a life. He never knew Blazingstorm. The medicine cat assistant had died during the Thunderclan liberation battle, so he wasn't around for the announcement of the new deputy for Windclan. He wondered if Blazingstorm feared being leader. It wasn't too long after he became deputy that he was now receiving his nine lives. I don't think i could have ever succeeded Zerosight, he thought.

"Blazingstorm, we never met though in Starclan I have heard of you," he began, steadying himself though he still could feel the butterflies. "And with this life, I give you Determination. Use it when you feel lost, make sure to keep pushing yourself forward - if not for yourself, than for those who can't continue anymore," he stretched out his neck in order to touch his nose to the new leader's forehead. Northpath struggled with this during Rusststar's ceremony as well. "I'm sure you will use this life in the future, you seem to be a string cat," he flicked his tabby tail towards Blazingstorm's chest, pointing out his heart.

After doing so, Northpath turned and padded back towards the other Starclan cats, and awaited to watch the ceremony officially come to a close. He let his autumn gaze watch Blazingstorm. He knew that the lives must hurt the leaders and wished that it wasn't so. Even thought some time had passe since his death, he still had his medicine cat instincts and hated seeing others in pain, especially being the cause of such pain. But he knew that this must happen for Blazingstorm to receive these lives, and the pain should be quick.

Surgestorm watched curiously as each StarClan cat came forward and gave a life to Blazingstorm, not expecting to recognize very many of the people. However, he was surprised when he spotted a familar tabby pelt step forward. His pale yellow eyes widened, first with surprise, and then confusion, and then with dread, all in the matter of a few seconds. "N-Northpath?" He gasped, quickly covering his mouth with his tail when he realized he had spoken out loud. Thankfully, he was standing back far enough that nobody had really heard him.
The black tom's head spun for the next few moments, trying to figure out what had happen. That's why Zerosight wasn't at the gathering... He hadn't yet heard of the ThunderClan medicine cat's death, and now he suddenly knew. His heart ached for Northpath, and for Zerosight; he had to blink away tears that threatened to fill his eyes.

[Hexict]

@Zero to Hero

Though he had not really looked at his friend before, Northpath's pelt pricked as he felt someone watching him. He turned his head and stiffened as he noticed Surgestorm. He should've known that the Windclan medicine cat would have accompanied Blazingstorm for this event, but since the usually playful tom was silently observing from the back, Northpath hadn't noticed him. But he should've looked for the black tom nonetheless.

His pelt prickled as his gaze met Surgestorm's. He wished that he could run right up to his friend, to be able to talk to him once again like he use to. But he knew he couldn't. They were in the middle of Blazingstorm's ceremony, and such an action would be inappropriate. But he still wished he could.

At first, the younger tom wondered what was going on with Surgestorm's expression, he saw the conflicting emotions that were changing quickly. Northpath suddenly looked down as he realized what was going on in his fellow medicine cat's head. That's right, he doesn't know... he wasn't there when I died, and Zerosight didn't make a show at the gathering. The dark tabby hadn't taken his attention off his former mentor when he joined Starclan.

It broke his heart to see Zerosight so shattered in the wake of his apprentice's murder. He knew that the cat he looked up to as a father was struggling. Northpath wished that he would choose another apprentice, someone lively who could lift his spirits - yet at the same time, he knew that he would be jealous when he was replaced. But still... he'd rather be replaced if it meant Zerosight was happy once more.

[zinfranny]

Originally Posted by fenic!

It had taken a bit of time for her to get used to walking in Starclan. Indeed, Twitefall's pelt glittered with stars now- it was what happened after you'd made enemies. She was killed after her kits had been born, and it wasn't something not to be expected, despite her having been a queen at the time. She was a supporter of Ratnight, and his rather cruel ways- it was for survival, though she'd started to feel guilty about it after being sent up here- this place was for good cats. I... I shouldn't be here, y'know? She'd taken it upon herself to try an understand that fact- but maybe it was clear that the cats up here had forgiven her. It was a fate far easier than that of life in the dark forest, and so she was glad about it. Besides, there was something more important to worry about today- giving Gyrewind his nine lives, and ensuring that Thunderclan goes on. It's my clan- I can't let it end with Ashstar's death. Looking around, the tom had appeared right on time- and it looked like she would have to greet him. Stepping out of the forest which shone bright with starlight, Twitefall looked into Gyrewind's eyes as she walked over towards the deputy- "Welcome to Starclan- are you ready to get your nine lives?"

A modulated voice touched his ears, which caused Gyrewind to cluck his head towards the sound, turning towards it. The star-bathed she-cat struck his eyes, and made his silvery pools shine with her presence. Her words inspirited a flutter in his chest, and he wasn't sure if his rapid heartbeat could be heard or not. For a moment, the tall feline awed at the StarClan cat's beatitude, and even her faint familiarity.
"Yes, ma'am," Gyrewind dipped his head and crouched slightly with honor, and however hard he tried, his mew was ever so tremulous in the face of the transcendental feline.

[SuspiciousMindz]

Originally Posted by Spirited Darkness

@Suspiciousmindz

They stood by, watching as each cat, in turn, and they were almost unaware that it was their turn, and looked somewhat embarrassed at first, but quickly, they shook off their embarrassment and cast a quick look around, waiting until Northpath had moved away, then Ravenpaw stepped forwards, their head lowered slightly once. As they approached Blazingstorm, and as they got a bit closer, Ravenpaw wondered if they'd seen this cat before, during their time alive, but highly doubted it. The only time they had ever been in WindClan was when the battles were taking place. Ravenpaw was uncertain exactly what to do, but they knew the words, just not how to say them, and that made them nervous. They didn't want to mess up, as the black apprentice, with their silver points tended to mess up with a lot of things. Stepping closer they raised their head so they were nearly eye level with the ginger tom, their pale yellow eyes bright as they waited a few heartbeats. The young apprentice, hardly six moons when they'd died. When Hannibal and Onyx had killed them, or more, Hannibal had killed them. Onyx had merely sat aack and watched. But Ravenpaw was proud to have died in the service of SkyClan, not the other Clans. “Hello, Blazingstar.” they said in a friendly but serious tone, careful not to stumble over their words, as they sometimes did. “I am Ravenpaw. I was an apprentice of SkyClan.” they added, closing their eyes for a moment and then looking back at Blazingstorm, preparing to give him the life. “With this life, I give you humor. Use it to find amusement to break tension and give laughter to those who need it.” they meowed quietly, reaching their head forwards to touch it with Blazingstorm's, closing their eyes as they did, unwilling to see whether or not the life caused the WindClan deputy any pain. They didn't want to cause anybody pain, but Ravenpaw knew things how things were meant to be. The pain was the wayway it simply was supposed to go. Quietly, Ravenpaw stepped backwards, backing away from the ginger tom in order to let the next cat take their place, assuming that he wasn't the last. They'd last track of how many of them had already given Blazingstorm a life.

Blazingstorm had heard of the two felines that had slaughtered the feline that stood before him. It made his fur stand on end to realize that this cat was one of their victims. Of course since Skyclan settled so close to the dark felines' group, there were bound to be more as time continued on. Blazingstorm's hues filled with sympathy, but quickly shut as Ravenpaw began to give him this life. Thankfully for the ginger warrior, this life was painless. It made him feel tingly and warm. He saw happy felines and a peaceful clan. Oh how he wished in leaf bare his clan could be peaceful with the others, but tensions seemed to always rise. Blazingstorm opened his hues as the apprentice started to pad away. The energy was quick and he actually became nervous as to the next life he'd receive. There was no way he was going to get away with two painless lives in a row. The ginger warrior gazed around at the ranks, only recognizing the familiar cats of clan mates he once knew and those who had given him a life.

[Fel]

@Inglewood Binks

Nodding her head formally, Twitefall took a step forward so she could stand in front of the tom, though her short stature led the molly to be a bit smaller than he was. "I don't believe we met, but we lived around the same time- my name is Twitefall, and I was a warrior of Thunderclan. I supported the era of darkness which cost many their lives, and it might have cost my own honor as well." She sighed, gaze fixated on Gyrewind's eyes with a newfound confidence as she began to admit what she'd done. "I did something which seems irredeemable- but I've learned from my mistakes, and the cats here have, well... forgiven me." She grinned, gesturing to the starry-furred cats who were scattered around the forest. "Cats who seem like the cruelest of killers can turn around and make amends if you give them the chance, so I give you the life of forgiveness, the ability to pardon others for their crimes and give them a second chance." With this sentence, she reached up to touch the deputy's nose, transferring his first life and then stepping down, dipping her head and uttering out a last sentence before walking away-

"Make sure you forgive others before they die for it."


--


@Suspiciousmindz

When Ravenpaw turned away, a new cat stepped up to greet Blazingstorm- a dark gray dappled molly, with a rather extroverted look to her. Sliding into her own place, her movements were somewhat casual and graceful at the same time, creating a rhythm that the she-cat had based her entire life after. "I've been waiting to meet you, y'know." She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling in delight as she looked towards the golden tabby with pride. "I believe we might have quite a few mutual friends- what can I say? I'm social. My name is Galeslip, and I believe I died- how many moons ago? Let's call it six. Oh, I was in love- and it was beautiful. A tom I'd meet on the Riverclan border every day- unfortunately, I don't think Singenight liked it enough to keep me alive. He took me hostage with a few allies, killed me on a corner of the territory and left me. All my friends were devastated, I'm sure." She huffed, a tone of disgust lining her words as she talked about the former Windclan leader. "Ah- the lives! My backstory can wait- I've got a four-hour presentation on myself if you've got the time to dream it up, hmm?" She grinned, eyes lighting up in amusement as she touched her nose to Blazingstorm's. "My life is for seeing beyond borders, and recognizing the beauty in the cats who take the opportunity- sometimes, you have to look beyond rigid borders for help. Value the other clans' help as much as your own, and the cats born of their lineage. Got it?" It was obvious that this cat was quite conceited, but she was a good friend when and where it mattered- her humor pulled you out of a hard place, and she didn't hesitate to defend. Giving a dip of her head as she stepped back, she turned her back on the deputy slowly, smiling one last time as she walked away. You'll do good as a leader. Relax.

[SuspiciousMindz]

Originally Posted by fenic!

@Suspiciousmindz

When Ravenpaw turned away, a new cat stepped up to greet Blazingstorm- a dark gray dappled molly, with a rather extroverted look to her. Sliding into her own place, her movements were somewhat casual and graceful at the same time, creating a rhythm that the she-cat had based her entire life after. "I've been waiting to meet you, y'know." She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling in delight as she looked towards the golden tabby with pride. "I believe we might have quite a few mutual friends- what can I say? I'm social. My name is Galeslip, and I believe I died- how many moons ago? Let's call it six. Oh, I was in love- and it was beautiful. A tom I'd meet on the Riverclan border every day- unfortunately, I don't think Singenight liked it enough to keep me alive. He took me hostage with a few allies, killed me on a corner of the territory and left me. All my friends were devastated, I'm sure." She huffed, a tone of disgust lining her words as she talked about the former Windclan leader. "Ah- the lives! My backstory can wait- I've got a four-hour presentation on myself if you've got the time to dream it up, hmm?" She grinned, eyes lighting up in amusement as she touched her nose to Blazingstorm's. "My life is for seeing beyond borders, and recognizing the beauty in the cats who take the opportunity- sometimes, you have to look beyond rigid borders for help. Value the other clans' help as much as your own, and the cats born of their lineage. Got it?" It was obvious that this cat was quite conceited, but she was a good friend when and where it mattered- her humor pulled you out of a hard place, and she didn't hesitate to defend. Giving a dip of her head as she stepped back, she turned her back on the deputy slowly, smiling one last time as she walked away. You'll do good as a leader. Relax.

Blazingstorm quietly awaited the next cat to arrive, although when she did, he was not expecting quite the story. He hadn't spoken for the entirety of the ceremony, however, he mustered up enough breath to say a name that would affect them both. "Galespring..." he murmured, his hues widening when he realized who this feline was and how he recognized the name. However, he was not aware of the history this she-cat had. His hues merely narrowed a little. "Strange they let a code breaker give a life," he replied, but braced himself for the life he was going to receive nonetheless. The thought that a former clan mate with a history of breaking the code about relationships between clans was giving him a life based on that was shocking. He didn't want to be too disrespectful, but he couldn't help but think a little negatively about the entire situation. Blazingstorm didn't know the entire truth, but enough to make him question things. As a strange, new wave of energy rushed into his figure, he gasped a little. It wasn't what he expected in the least bit. Blazingstorm saw cats from other clans and how peacefully they lived within their own camps. They were just like Windclan and no matter how much Blazingstorm wanted to deny it, they were cats living for the same purposes of them. The vision he got was indescribable, similar to how he could describe Galeslip. When his golden hues opened after a somewhat painful -- more so exhausting -- life, he was watching Galeslip walk away. He was curious about her, but perhaps it was better he told Galespring about who he saw and ask her what she did from there.

@Duskflight @Lonestar23
[just you two left]

[Ludicrous Lunacy]

[[ @Inglewood Binks ]]
Sandpaw stood slightly farther back from the other cats, sniffling slightly. She watched through one eye, paw over the one that had begun to fade back into blank emptiness, as it always seemed to when she was upset. Be happy, now, you get to give life. The apprentice blinked hard but, unfortanutly for herself, nothing happened--she wasn't exactly sure about the soon-to-be leader and couldn't hear or see what was being said.

[zinfranny]

Originally Posted by fenic!

@Inglewood Binks

Nodding her head formally, Twitefall took a step forward so she could stand in front of the tom, though her short stature led the molly to be a bit smaller than he was. "I don't believe we met, but we lived around the same time- my name is Twitefall, and I was a warrior of Thunderclan. I supported the era of darkness which cost many their lives, and it might have cost my own honor as well." She sighed, gaze fixated on Gyrewind's eyes with a newfound confidence as she began to admit what she'd done. "I did something which seems irredeemable- but I've learned from my mistakes, and the cats here have, well... forgiven me." She grinned, gesturing to the starry-furred cats who were scattered around the forest. "Cats who seem like the cruelest of killers can turn around and make amends if you give them the chance, so I give you the life of forgiveness, the ability to pardon others for their crimes and give them a second chance." With this sentence, she reached up to touch the deputy's nose, transferring his first life and then stepping down, dipping her head and uttering out a last sentence before walking away-

"Make sure you forgive others before they die for it."

Gyrewind's silvery eyes reflected heed and even distress as Twitefall spoke. As he stared down at her, he pictured the feline with no stars in her being, a feline he couldn't see through and one he once lived with. It hit him, the flash of ordeal of what the members of StarClan had witnessed. Would he have to go through such immense trials while he called himself a Clan cat?
Gyrewind bent his head towards Twitefall, his eyes closing gently. He felt the soft press of her nose on his, but was ripped from what he thought would be serene. White fire swelled, directly from the touch and engulfing his body with a pain that made his tingling limbs feel decamped. His muscles rippled as if to wrench free of Twitefall's touch, but to no avail, panic flooding his mind. Suddenly it died. The fire fled his body with the StarClan cat's touch. To his disbelief, all that was simply a single moment. He opened his eyes when he realized they had not been opened at all during the affliction. Gyrewind's mouth was slightly agape as he breathed heavily, mostly from confusion and shock. As he picked up his head once again, and Twitefall gave her last message, he realized the emergence of a new medium in his body. He stared at the warrior that had granted him with new power. Suddenly, Gyrewind felt the need to absorb everything she was giving him, everything she said as he watched her step back into the newly formed assembly of star-painted feline. At the sight of the cats, his breath went shallow but he could feel a flutter of thrill emerging.

[Random Melody]

( @Inglewood Binks )
Fernpaw was among the cats, watching Gyrewind with proud green eyes. A smile twitched on her lips as she padded fforward, nodding to Twitefall as she stepped up and took her place. She raised her head, the golden she-cat's ears pricking up as she smiled at the soon to be leader, dipping her head. "Greetings," She spoke softly, her tail flicking. Her pelt shone like stars, and her green eyes glittered. "I am Fernpaw, former ThunderClan apprentice. I was killed in the fire that destroyed most of our Clan," She paused slightly, before raising up. "Honor meeting you," She murmured, before pressing her nose to Gyrewind's gently.

"With this life, I give you Bravery," Her voice was laced with wisdom, the wisdom of a StarClan cat though she was merely an apprenice, at death at least. "Use it when you make choices, or fight battles for your Clan. Use it to protect them, become the leader they so badly need." She drew back, and smiled, searching his eyes. "Though, remember; Being brave doesnt mean you dont get scared, merely that you have the courage to face what you are afraid of." She mewed, dipping her head, before stepping back to stand with the others.

[Fel]

Originally Posted by Suspiciousmindz

Blazingstorm quietly awaited the next cat to arrive, although when she did, he was not expecting quite the story. He hadn't spoken for the entirety of the ceremony, however, he mustered up enough breath to say a name that would affect them both. "Galespring..." he murmured, his hues widening when he realized who this feline was and how he recognized the name. However, he was not aware of the history this she-cat had. His hues merely narrowed a little. "Strange they let a code breaker give a life," he replied, but braced himself for the life he was going to receive nonetheless. The thought that a former clan mate with a history of breaking the code about relationships between clans was giving him a life based on that was shocking. He didn't want to be too disrespectful, but he couldn't help but think a little negatively about the entire situation. Blazingstorm didn't know the entire truth, but enough to make him question things. As a strange, new wave of energy rushed into his figure, he gasped a little. It wasn't what he expected in the least bit. Blazingstorm saw cats from other clans and how peacefully they lived within their own camps. They were just like Windclan and no matter how much Blazingstorm wanted to deny it, they were cats living for the same purposes of them. The vision he got was indescribable, similar to how he could describe Galeslip. When his golden hues opened after a somewhat painful -- more so exhausting -- life, he was watching Galeslip walk away. He was curious about her, but perhaps it was better he told Galespring about who he saw and ask her what she did from there.

[...you asked for this roast]
"You know, I don't know when they let a cat who basically let his his own mentor die become leader either, huh? But I guess Starclan works in mysterious ways." Galeslip huffed, her face obviously shocked at the fact that he'd disrespect somebody who was giving him a life. He's got a lot of guts- but that's good when it comes to being a leader. He'll be fine, that's what I know. Through her sharp tongue and chatty attitude, being up here had made her just the slightest bit wiser than before- and though she'd made a mistake in the past, she could at least admit that respecting the other clans and asking them for help in a time of need was a necessity. Vanishing into the crowds, the dark gray tabby had... faith in this cat.