Edited ✔️

Dawn was coming soon. He could feel it by how the air was getting warmer and the sky was beginning to lighten. He crawled out of the nursery, shaking his ruffled fur against the light wind. Looking up to the sky, he noticed the peeking slightly over the tree-tips that circled the camp. The blush of red against the dark sky was breath-taking.

Against the outline, he spotted Brightstar sitting on top of her den, looking out at the sunrise. He stared at her with awe—her beautiful white pelt was bright against the orange-blue colors in the background, and he could easily see her eyes glimmer. Icekit padded up to the base of the rock and looked up, admiring the beauty of his leader.

Brightstar's head turned to his direction, her warm gaze filling his heart. "You're the first cat awake, Icekit," she purred. "A warrior already, I see."

Icekit stared up at her, his eyes lighting up with admiration for the leader. "Good morning, Brightstar!" he called. "The dawn must be so pretty from where you are." He paused. "It is, right?"

"I don't know," his leader replied. "Come up and see so for yourself."

Nervously, Icekit put a paw on the Moonrock, and then hauled himself upward. Rock by rock, he leaped, until he was right beside Brightstar. He stared at the dawn, and his eyes widened. "It is more beautiful!" he gasped. "It must be amazing being leader, to see something like this every day."

"You can be leader one day, Icekit," Brightstar meowed, returning her eyes to the dawn.

Icekit's head tilted. "But I thought Sparrowheart was the deputy? He's next, right?" Hope filled into his heart. Sparrowheart was his father, and he had always dreamt of having his father as Clan leader one day.

"You can be leader after him," Brightstar purred. "Only cats who work for this position will get it. Cats who have the ambition for leadership, or a heart that will never abandon his Clanmates always become leader."

"I thought every cat was like that," murmured Icekit.

Brightstar nodded. "Most cats are. Clanmates are suppose to look after each other, after all. But the cats who truly deserve such a position are usually the ones who earn it." She looked down to him. "You most definetly look after your denmates, and I am proud of that."

"Really?" he asked with excitement.

"Really," Brightstar replied, letting her nose rest on his head. "And maybe one day, you'll get to watch the dawn rise from the Moonrock like I do as the Clan leader."

"That will be amazing!" Icekit meowed, looking back out to the dawn. "Maybe one day I can be as good a leader as you!"

* * *

Icetail stared with horror into the depths of Sweetheart's eyes. "She's . . ." He could barely manage out the word. Brightstar is dead. Pain clawed at his heart. "You're joking, right? This is such a cruel joke, Sweetheart . . ."

Sweetheart shook her head. "I am not joking," she whispered. "She died in the medicine den moments ago." She looked down to her paws, her gaze clouding with grief.

The Clan was dead silent. Icetail couldn't turn his head to face them. He couldn't save Brightstar after all. He thought that everything would be okay . . . he thought that he'd escape DarkClan with the other two warriors, and make it back to the Clan, only to be greeted by his leader and friends. But that didn't happen, for the death of his leader slipped right under his nose.

I should of noticed! If I had, then I would of helped her fight sooner! It's all my fault! Icetail collapsed on the ground. "She can't be dead!" he yowled.

Silverleaf quietly padded up, and pressed head against his. "We will all grieve with you," she murmured, her voice as quiet as a butterfly flapping its wings.

Shadowheart emerged to the front of the crowd of cats. "Doesn't that mean he will be Clan leader now?"

Icetail froze, realizing what Shadowheart had just said. That's true, he would have to be Clan leader. But I can't do this without Brightstar! he thought, remembering all his times with her. MoonClan had always been so secure under her knowledge and leadership. He felt like he wouldn't be able to do half of what she does.

"When's he going to go to the Night Flower?" Amberpaw asked Silverleaf.

"Shh," Silverleaf scolded.

After a moment of silence, he looked up and to the medicine where her limp body lay. "Bring her body out here," he said, his voice cracking with grief. "Prepare her for burial. We have to let her have her proper burial."

Sweetheart shook her head. "You may see her, but we will have to leave soon."

"Why?"

"You must get your nine lives, Icetail, and become MoonClan's leader. No matter how much we wish it never happened, Brightstar's final life is gone and she is with StarClan now." Sweetheart paused. "We must leave tonight, and carry out the vigil for tomorrow."

He took a deep breath. Brightstar would want him to lead the Clan through this, to remain strong even through these difficult times.

"I understand," he murmured, slowly turning his gaze to his Clanmates. His heart almost broke as he met the glimmering eyes of his many friends, who looked to him at what to do. Brightstar's closest friends seemed the most troubled. "I am going to the Night Flower to receive my nine lives from StarClan. Ashtail will watch the Clan while I am gone, and tomorrow we will carry out Brightstar's vigil." He paused, flicking his tail to the CloudClan warriors. "They will be resting here temporarily. We helped each other escape DarkClan's wrath. They fought bravely with us during Brightstar's last moments . . ."

Some cats turned to the CloudClan warriors, acknowledging their presence.

Silverleaf's eyes widened. "You're really going?" she asked. "What if DarkClan attacks the camp?"

He shook his head. "I doubt they will. If I still know Dewstar, he will want me to recover." He remembered the challenge Dewstar said to his face. He wants me to fight this battle of Clans with him, he thought. But unlike the old leader, Sandstar, he wants to play this fairly.

Sweetheart beckoned him forward with her tail. "Come and receive your traveling medicine. We won't be able to hunt during the whole journey, and if we eat, we will become off-course." She looked up. "There's still enough time, too. Moonhigh is approaching."

He nodded weakly. "We will leave now, then."

* * *

Icetail had never seen the Night Flower in his whole entire life. He would always hear stories about it, and how it illuminated brilliantly against the moonlight to take a cat's soul to StarClan. Now, he was looking nervously inside the tunnel that lead to the cave of the Night Flower. Such a narrow tunnel . . . His paws trembled.

Sweetheart turned to him, narrowing her eyes. "What's wrong?" she said. "Are you regretting accepting this?"

Icetail shook his head. "No, that's not it. It's just that . . . I'm not too fond of small spaces." This was the first time either Sweetheart or Icetail spoke during the entire trip. Both cats were too filled with sorrow to speak. "I don't know if I can accept such confined spaces."

"We have to go down now," encouraged Sweetheart. "When the moon goes away, you won't be able to get your nine lives. We must be quick."

He nodded. "Alright. Lead the way, and fast."

Sweetheart pushed her way into the tunnel, and Icetail followed with discomfort. Nervously, he followed the medicine cat down the tunnels. His whiskers guided him, feeling the walls all around him.

Once it got completely dark, Icetail's fur began to bristle with unease. Scents of heather and water washed down the tunnel, the stagnant air uncomfortable in his nose. He wanted to ask Sweetheart how much farther they would travel, but he decided not to—it'd be a waste of breath that he felt he was losing.

"Almost there," Sweetheart murmured, "just a little farther down."

A sharp scent reached his nose. "Is this . . . the scent of the Night Flower?" he asked with surprise. It was sweet and sour, tangy on his tongue yet strong, as if there were a patch of them. He couldn't believe this smell could emit from a single flower.

Sweetheart nodded. In just a moment, he began to see a faint light. Finally, the two of them reached their destination. Icetail stared with awe at the clearing in the cave. The sky was completely visible despite being underground. The Night Flower, on the other paw, was huge, towering over Icetail. Small insects swarmed within it, sucking in its tasteful nectar.

"When moonlight hits, the flower will illuminate," Sweetheart whispered to him. "That's when you will breathe in the scent of the flower and drink its nectar. Your connection with StarClan will thus begin."

He nodded, and waited.

At last, the dark clouds in the sky revealed the moon, and beams of white light filtered into the cave. The flower illuminated brightly, and his eyes widened. It was beyond beautiful—beyond anything he had ever imagined.

"It's time." Sweetheart's mew was so soft, it was barely a whisper. Icetail simply nodded, too uneasy to speak.

He padded forward, and reached into one of the large petals, taking in it's sweet nectar. Then, with the scent of the flower deep in his lungs, he curled up by the thick and strong stem, his eyes growing heavy with sleep. In a moment's time, he fell asleep. Everything around him was dark and he could not see anything. Panic filled his heart.

Is StarClan rejecting me? he thought frantically, looking around.

But in just a moment, the darkness faded away, and he found himself underneath the moon, the warmth of StarClan all around him. Relief filled his body—his ancestors hadn't rejected him after all.

He could make out some cat walking up to him. Brightstar came into view, her pelt starry and her eyes warm. "Hi, Icetail," she purred, touching noses with him.

"It's good to see you again," he whispered, trembling with longing. It felt like he'd only seen her moments ago in the battle against DarkClan, fighting so brilliantly to save her deputy's life.

She purred. "I am sorry to have left you so suddenly. MoonClan will be thrilled to be under your leadership. Are you ready to ready to receive your nine lives?"

He hesitated, and then nodded. "Yes, I am."

Brightstar thus touched her nose to Icetail's head. "With this life, I give you love," she began. "My heart has always loved you, Icetail, so I want you to use this gift and love your Clanmates—especially Silverleaf—as if they were your kits. Raising you was as if I were raising my own son, training you was one of the best adventures I've come to know in my lifetime. Continue loving your Clan with every being of your soul."

Icetail was surprised for a moment. I would have never guessed Brightstar thought this much of me.

But in a quick moment, pain overflowed him, and he gasped. A bolt of agony swept through Icetail and he shut his eyes, trying to endure the pain. Then, it was all over, and he could feel all the love Brightstar had for him in his own heart—a warmth so filling and so strong that it gave him new strength.

She dipped her head and backed away to let the next cat approach.

Next, came Featherbreeze. "Hello, my son," his mother murmured. She touched her nose to his head, just as Brightstar had.

"Featherbreeze! I've missed you so much," he gasped.

"With this life, I give you nobility," she said, her voice strong. "You are a noble cat, strong at heart and knows what is right. I am proud of you for that."

Another bolt of pain flashed through Icetail. He yowled, experiencing the same unbearable pain he had with Brightstar, and then, events of Featherbreeze's life through her eyes flashed through his head. I . . . I can see myself! he thought, his mind filled with images of her memories.

"You've been watching me all this time," he purred weakly, recovering from the pain.

"Always, Icetail. I must go now," she meowed, dipping her head. "Use your life wisely." She stepped backward, taking her place right beside Brightstar.

Next, a cat Icetail didn't recognize walked out of the shadows. "I am Grasspelt," she greeted. Her green eyes were old with experience. "I am sure you've met my son, Grassheart of CloudClan."

"He's your son?" Icetail asked with surprise.

"Yes. Although I am from MarshClan, not all cats have the heart to follow the warrior code so diligently," she went on. "You were but an apprentice when I have died. But I am thankful for you saving my son, even though he is of another Clan. Because of you, he and WindCloud can have their kits peacefully."

"Kits!" he exclaimed. "That's wonderful!"

Grasspelt nodded, her tail flicking pleasantly. "I am here to give you your third life," she said, touching her nose to his head. "With this life, I give you wisdom to know what is right, even if it means to go beyond Clan boundaries."

Pain flashed through Icetail, and he cringed, holding back a yowl this time. He felt the life enter through his body, coursing within his blood as if strengthening him. But as this life entered his very essence, he smelled something very familiar . . . the moor! Even though Grasspelt had been a MarshClan cat, she always loved the moors, he recognized. She was a hero to all the Clans! I see her memories!

Grasspelt dipped her head and stepped backward.

Next, Shard padded into the clearing. "Greetings Icetail," meowed the old Twilight Forest tom.

"You're giving me a life?" he exclaimed. "I thought that the cats of the Twilight Forest were bad!"

Amusement filtered through his eyes. "Not all of us are considered evil, we just decided that the rules of StarClan would never apply to us." He touched his nose to Icetail's head. "With this life, I give you justice," Shard meowed. "We are all equal. No cat is different. You are a beautiful example of that."

Another bolt of pain flashed through him as his fourth life entered his body. Icetail felt strange as he received this life, but he shook away the inexplainable feelings as he watched Shard disperse among the other three cats once he was finished.

Next came Vinetail. His eyes widened. Many moons ago, Vinetail had been murdered by Dewstar, and ever since that day, he had never seen the medicine cat, not even in a dream.

Vinetail purred and touched his nose to Icetail's head. "Once, I thought you'd of been cut off for a medicine cat," he admitted. "It was that day you went herb collecting with me. But after that, I realized that your destiny was always shaped out to do something different. Perhaps something even greater."

"Sweetheart has missed you," Icetail told him. "She was the true choice of being the next medicine cat. Never me."

Vinetail nodded, and went on with the ceremony. "With this fifth life, I give you sight," said the old medicine cat. "No longer you will be blind of what is around you."

Again, he felt the pain of his fifth life consuming his body. Vinetail padded to the other four cats, taking his place with them just as the next cat emerged into the clearing.

"Ripplefur!" Icetail gasped, staring with amazement at Silverleaf's mother. "I have missed you dearly. Your kits grew up to be wonderful warriors!"

Ripplefur purred in response. "Thank you for watching over Squirreltail, and especially Silverleaf," said the young queen. "Even though I can't see them, tell them how much I miss them. Also, tell them that Spottedkit is well."

"I will," he promised, remembering the young kit who had lost her life to greencough along with her mother.

Pleased, Ripplefur touched her nose to his head. "With your sixth life, I give you the ability to protect. Continue on protecting the Clan, as more warriors come and go. And please continue to protect Silverleaf in my place."

The pain went on once more, but he controlled it this time, already used to it. When it was over, Ripplefur padded away to the other cats to sit among them. This time, a cat who Icetail didn't recognize approached. She was a white she-cat with black tabby marks and eyes as pale as the moon.

"I am Whiteeye, the deputy of MoonClan before your father," she explained. "I am here to give you your seventh life." Touching her nose to his head, she meowed, "with this life, I give you the ability to lead. Be wise for your friends and Clanmates, Icetail. Always choose the decision that you think is best as leader of your Clan."

The pain sparked through him quickly, and he held his posture, enduring the heavy feelings that tried to weigh him down. I promise to be a great leader! he thought. Whiteeye left and joined the other cats just as the next StarClan cat came by. He recognized his father, Sparrowheart, instantly.

"Greetings," he meowed, touching his nose to his head.

"It's good to see you again," Icetail agreed, happy to be by his father's side once more. "I promise I will be as good as a leader you could ever have been."

"That's good to hear," Sparrowheart purred. "With this life, I give you the strength of a lion. Lions don't only use their strength to kill, Icetail. You must know that, and help those who are blind of this fact to realize it."

The life surged through him as Sparrowheart joined the rest of the dead cats. Finally, his last life emerged, padding slowly from the shadows. It was a black she-cat with blue eyes.

"Who are you?" Icetail asked, realizing that this cat was not someone he had ever seen or heard of.

The cat looked up. "My name is Darkstar," she meowed. "I was the founder and creator of DarkClan many seasons ago." Her gaze saddened. "It is something I wish I had never done."

"You're DarkClan's first leader?" he asked with surprise.

She nodded. "I am. And you and all of the previous DarkClan leaders are of my kin. I have decided to give you your final life as redemption for the rogue Clan that I had brought up from the shadows." She touched her nose to his head. "With this life, I give you light. Use it well to light up your way even through the darkest moments."

The pain of his final life almost threw him off his paws. He gasped from the feeling—it was as if his blood was boiling and his pelt was covered in thorns; as if he were being crushed by a tree from the pressure he felt in his head, on his heart, an overwhelming feeling that was worse than the other eight lives that had become a part of him. His paws started to tremble as he felt the life settle down within his soul, becoming one and whole with him. The feeling slowly started to fade, and he inhaled in the sweet air of StarClan as the heavy feeling released.

"Thank you, Darkstar," he breathed as she joined his other life-givers.

Brightstar stepped up. "I hail you by your new name, Icestar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you guardianship of MoonClan. 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."

"Icestar! Icestar!" the cats who gave him lives chanted. Brightstar, Featherbreeze, Grasspelt, Shard, Vinetail, Ripplefur, Whiteeye, Sparrowheart, and Darkstar all raised their voices together in chorus as they chanted the MoonClan leader's new name, pride, joy and the sweet sense of reunion lingering in their voices.

He stood taller as they chanted, and he felt the responsibility of having such a new name course deep within his chest. Brightstar, you were right, he thought, turning to the leader. I don't have a clue how you always knew I'd be leader, but I am happy that I was your deputy.