Warrior Cats: Thunder And Fire

Prologue

The moon crept across the sky as golden fur flashed across the stones, followed by a mix of black and orange and white. The golden she-cat stepped into the tunnel. "It's dark in there," She meowed, ears lowering. "How will we find our way?"

"Starclan will guide your paws, Goldenwhisker," The tortoiseshell replied, stepping up beside her.

"Alright, Luckyclover, let's go," Goldenwhisker meowed, padding into the dark tunnel. Luckyclover paused for a moment before following.

They walked and entered into a cavern with a small hole in the roof and a huge crystal in the middle. "What now?" Goldenwhisker asked, gazing in awe at the Moonstone.

"We wait for the moonlight to come in, it won't take long," Luckyclover meowed.

They waited for a moment, and soon moonlight spilled into the cave from the hole in the roof. The Moonstone exploded into light, blinding Goldenwhisker and Luckyclover for a short moment.

"Touch your nose to the stone, Starclan will send you to sleep," Luckyclover meowed.

Goldenwhisker nodded and walked forward, crouching beside the Moonstone and touching her nose to it. Cold flooded through the golden she-cat and for a second she was numb, unable to feel anything, before she felt grass beneath her paws. She opened her eyes and found herself in a grassy clearing, surrounded by starry cats. A golden she-cat, almost identical to Goldenwhisker, walked forward and stood in front of Goldenwhisker.

"My daughter," The golden she-cat purred. "I'm so proud of you."

"Applefoot. Mother," Goldenwhisker purred, touching her nose to her mother's.

"I give you a life for leadership, use it well for guiding your clan," Applefoot meowed, touching her nose to Goldenwhisker's forehead.

Goldenwhisker flinched as a shot of pain flashed through her. Applefoot stepped away to let a ginger tabby tom walk forward. "Goldenwhisker," He purred.

"Foxstorm," Goldenwhisker greeted her father, smiling. Foxstorm touched his nose to Goldenwhisker's forehead.

"With this life I give you Justice, use it well as you judge the actions of others," Foxstorm meowed. A jolt of pain went through Goldenwhisker. She shook out her fur as Foxstorm walked away.

A small creamy ginger tom ran up. "Gingerpaw!" Goldenwhisker exclaimed as the small creamy ginger tom stopped in front of her.

"I give you a life for wisdom! Use it well to make hard decisions!" Gingerpaw purred, touching his nose to Goldenwhisker's. He walked away and a dark ginger tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws walked forward, her amber eyes gleaming.

"Goldenwhisker, my dear friend, I always knew you'd be leader some day!" She purred.

"Rosewhisker," Goldenwhisker purred in a greeting.

Rosewhisker touched her nose to Goldenwhisker's forehead. "I give you patience with this life, training the young takes kindness, compassion, and forgiveness."

Goldenwhisker stiffened as a spasm of pain hit her. She sighed as Rosewhisker walked away to let a white she-cat take her place. Goldenwhisker blinked at the cat.

"I am your grandmother, you never met me or your grandfather, I am Lilynose," The white cat meowed.

Goldenwhisker purred in greeting as Lilynose reached forward to touch her nose to Goldenwhisker's head. "With this life I give you love, use it for the cats you care about," Lilynose meowed. A fierce love filled Goldenwhisker, so fierce that she flinched away from Lilynose. Lilynose stepped away and a cream tom walked forward.

"I am your grandfather, Gorseclaw," The cream tom purred. He touched his nose to Goldenwhisker's head. "I give you a life for selflessness, serve your clan well with it."

Goldenwhisker felt a spasm of pain, causing her to clench her teeth. Gorseclaw walked away and black tom with long legs walked forward.

"Starlingthroat, my mentor, you taught me well, I thank you," Goldenwhisker purred.

"I give you a life for mentoring, use it to teach the young cats of the clan," Starlingthroat meowed, touching his nose to Goldenwhisker's forehead. Goldenwhisker flinched from the pain that hit her.

Starlingthroat walked away and a gray-and-white she-cat walked forward. "Smokefang," Goldenwhisker purred. "I missed you, friend."

"I missed you, too. With this life I give you trust in your instincts, listen to your heart when it speaks," Smokefang meowed. She walked away and a brown tom walked forward, gold eyes gleaming with pride.

"Elmstar," Goldenwhisker meowed, dipping her head.

Elmstar touched his nose to her head. "With this life I give you Empathy, understanding, use it well to know everyone around you," He meowed.

Goldenwhisker's fur rippled as pain blazed through her. She closed her eyes, the pain ebbed away and she opened them. Elmstar took a step back.

"I hail you by your new name, Goldenstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and Starclan grants you the guardianship of Thunderclan. 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." Elmstar meowed loudly. Goldenstar glowed with pride.

"Goldenstar! Goldenstar! Goldenstar!" The Starclan cats around her cheered. Goldenstar stared at them for a moment before she blinked and she was waking up at the Moonstone. She blinked, eyes adjusting to the light of the Moonstone. The moon was just beginning to disappear from the hole in the roof.

"How was it?" Luckyclover asked, lifting her head.

"It went great, I have my lives and my new name," Goldenstar meowed.

"Very good, now we should get back to camp," Luckyclover meowed. "Come on."

Goldenstar rose to her paws and shook out her fur as Luckyclover stretched and led the way though the dark tunnel once more. A few moments of walking in the darkness later, they emerged onto the rocks outside. Goldenstar looked out at the stars and smiled. She was a leader. And she would do her very best to be a good leader.

They padded across the rocks, onto the grass, across the Thunderpath, and through the Windclan moor. Goldenstar sighed when she felt the breeze in her fur as they entered Thunderclan territory. Her clan's territory.