Coughing of Cats filled half of ElmClan's camp, Cold snowy night watched over the cats, Fawnheart, ElmClan's medicine cat looked up at the stars, not caring about cold. " Oh StarClan, Let our clan get well" She murmured, eyes closed and head towards the sky. Fawnheart padded forward to Sagestar, was still, only faint breathing made him move. He was trembled and coughed, The black and white tom groaned in agony as Fawnheart got closer to her leader.

" Sparkstep will be a good young leader, don't you agree?" He rasped with calmness. " My final life, wasted because of sickness." Sagestar blinked, he rose, legs shook and body trembled. Sagestar tumbled down. Fawnheart nudged a bit of catmint, Sagestar stared at the herb before slowly chewing it. Bits of chewed green herb fell, Fawnheart feed him one poppy seed then headed off for the night.

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 Bright sun rise,  Sunlight touching the trees and land, shadows stretched out. Sparkstep uncurled her body, gaping her jaws for a yawn. Sparkstep trotted, ducking her head and exited the den. " Wavewhisker and Larkclaw , take your apprentices for a hunting patrol" Sparkstep ordered with firm yet kind tone, she glanced over to fresh kill pile, which only contain two mice and a sparrow. Larkclaw and Wavewhisker gave a nod then gathered their apprentices, Sweetpaw and Ryepaw. Four clan cats left as Sparkstep raced over to Sagestar's den, who strangely wasn't up yet. " Sagestar, Are you awak-" The sight of limp and unmoving body of Sagestar, made Sparkstep freeze. She ran to his side to observe, her nose dug into his fur, she felt coldness of lifeless body.

" So sickness took your life? I am not ready... I can't be leader now!!" She mewed skittish, She  darted out, wind pushed against her. She forced herself to stop at Fawnheart's den, seeing Fawnheart teach her apprentice, Splashfern. She huffed and gulped for air, " Fawnheart.. Sagestar has passed a-away" Sparkstep meowed in exhaustion and spooked tone. " Calm down first and Splashfern shall escort you to Willowstone, to get your nine lives." Fawnheart spoke calmly as Splashfern spoke up " Me-e? But..This is so unexp-" Fawnheart shushed him, with her tail. " I need stay here to help the clan and meanwhile you must journey with Sparkstep to show StarClan, your courage." Fawnheart commented " As for you, you must gather the clan and tell them" tail flicked at Sparkstep.

Sparkstep felt nervous knot in her throat, her paws slowly moving up meeting rock, taking a deep breath, the ginger tabby leapt onto rock and yowled " Cats who can hunt and fight, gather for a clan meeting!!" Sparkstep sat tall, tail hid her front paws. Cats appeared and came, murmuring rippled out. " I have to announce that Sagestar has died from Greencough!" Murmuring of cats got louder and eyes were glowing with worry and dread. " But don't worry as I am deputy and must revive my nine lives!" Sparkstep yowled with confidence, cats yowled and shouted with glee and bit of worry. " Webfeather and Thornpelt, may  you please carry out Sagestar's body and place him below meeting rock for cats to mourn and say their last goodbyes?!" She mewed, looking at two elders. Who nodded and disappeared and reappeared with limp body.

" Jaggednose, your in charge of the camp until we get back. I give you my trust." Sparkstep meowed as she signaled Splashfern. When Sparkstep and Splashfern turned around, Jaggednose had started to order patrols to hunt or check the border. Sparkstep padded though tall grass and slipped pass pile of  hard and smooth rocks, walking into hollow log that sloped upwards and jutted  out of rocks, dewdrops  descended from their leaves. The snow covered the land from as an eye can see, the sky was dark gray with gloom, streaks of sunlight seeped though thick gray clouds.

They came to long and pale gray thunderpath, A monster zoomed by. Meanwhile the camp was busy with playing kits and apprentices scurrying around with duties, warriors chatted with each other. Jaggednose meowed loudly " Mudpaw and Fernclaw, Let's go hunt near the river." Jaggednose got ready to leave, The small patrol headed out. Jaggednose pounced, killing a mouse with single bite, Fernclaw was near a tree, stalking a chipmunk. Gray spotted she cat killed with quick bite before a yowl broke out.

Two warriors turned their heads to see Mudpaw thrashing upon  dark river's currect fought back, dragging the brown tom under and with the water. Jaggednose leapt into river without thinking, cold water brushed his fur and current pushed back, his tail swayed. He swam towards panicking apprentice, who swallowed by the river, Jaggednose took deep breath and scooped under, looking around for apprentice. The air in his lungs felt faint and body got weaker the longer he stayed in, He grabbed Mudpaw by his scruff, pulled him out. Jaggednose felt cramp gnawing leg, He ignored the agony. 

The brown and white tom swam to shore, He dropped the apprentice on muddy land. A log slid down the river, hitting Jaggednose's side, causing him be pushed in river once again. Fernclaw shouted " Jaggednose! No!" She froze, watching the tom drown to his death, the impact of log had cause him knock him out. Fernclaw carried Mudpaw back to came, She brought him to Fawnheart's den and called out.

Sparkstep stopped, looking at Willowstone, A tall willow tree grew from ground that wrapped it's root on large smooth rock, jutted upwards. Underneath Willowstone was small clean pond, small waterfalls came from sides of rock, rippling the nearby water at end of waterfall. few lilies grew with pink flowers. The pond was deep as kit's paw. Sparkstep walked through, touched her nose against rock, Splashfern did the same. Beneath the two cats was glowing stone that twolegs left behind, many moons ago. Sleep came over Sparkstep, she awoke, in starry land.

" Welcome Sparkstep, my loyal deputy." Sagestar mewed, chin high up. " Let's start shall we?" Sagestar vanished as million of starry cats appeared. " Sparkstep, Are you ready for your nine lives?" Duskstar, the former leader before Sagestar, asked. Sparkstep shook her head, Splashfern crouched, flat on his belly, watching.

A calico she cat trotted fourth, " Mapleberry! Do you know that Fawnheart has an apprentice?"  She meowed nervously, Mapleberry blinked warmly at Splashfern. Then she pushed forward to Sparkstep. " With this life, I give you Hope. In hope you make right decisions even if there are hard consequences and wrong for right." Mapleberry touched Sparkstep, The ginger she cat felt pain surge within her body before she shook.

A ginger tom with white stripes padded to her. " Fa- Embertail!" She meowed in joy, her father had been killed by a monster, when he had to gather herbs for Fawnheart. " With this life I give you, Compassion, take care of sick and care for all kits even if they are not from the clan." The life given to was warm but painful. Embertail returned upon other starry fallen cats.

A jet black tom with pale blue eyes replaced her father's spot.  " I am Ravenleap, I died a moon before you were born. I wanted to mentor you but your mentor has taught you well, Waspwing. He mentored you well." Ravenleap meowed then spoke again, " With this life, I give you Love, Show love and care for your clan and others like a mother and her kits." The life gave her joyful energy as she purred.

Another unrecognizable cat came to view. " My name is Ferretclaw, I was queen who is mother of Mudpaw, I died two moons after his ceremony, at the time, you were taken by our enemy clan." Ferretclaw   placed her muzzle on forehead of Sparkstep, " With this life, I give you Swiftness, Use this to save lives quickly and swift over to save your loved ones." She meowed, giving a lick on Sparkstep's cheek.

An small gray tom came out, " I am Mousepaw, My brother Snakefang, killed so he could get deputy rank but he was killed by rogue, who witness my death. That rogue was my friend." Mousepaw took an deep breath. " With this life, I give you loyalty. Use this to show your loyalty to the clan and to clanmates." He mewed before disappearing. Energy stung Sparkstep as her claws scraped nothingness.

Sparkstep felt her old life ebb each time she revive one of her nine lives. She remembered of how her father brought fresh kill for her as kit and how her mother would groom her everyday. Sparkstep had gotten in her life at the point, she was a leader to her birthclan.

Sleek white she cat with, she was blind but not deaf, Sparkstep staggered closer to blind she cat. " Hello?" Sparkstep greeted, "Greetings young one, I am Snowbreeze, with this life, I give you sight. Even though you can see well, you may be blind to many things even a blind cat can understand." Snowbreeze pressed her muzzle onto Sparkstep's head.

Sandy tom came over to Sparkstep " My name is  Shrewtooth, With this life, I give you the life of Friendship, as ally will help in need of situation but also to have time with your clanmates." Shrewtooth stepped forward to place his nose on her head then stepped away from her who was in agony for few heartbeats.

Sagestar reappeared, He padded over and placed his nose on her. "With this life, I give you  leadership, use this well to lead your clan well in your future and be leader model to all." Sagestar mewed.

" I hail you by your new name, Sparkstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of ElmClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity." Sagestar meowed, as cats chanted deputy's new name.

Suddenly every cat disappeared and Sparkstar jolted awake with Splashfern. Sparkstar was ready, ready to lead her clan.

Posted this on WA but enjoy