Starkit's Prophecy REWRITTEN

Chapter 16: Why, Thunderstar, Why?

The Nine Lives

Suddenly, as Stargleam was leaving the Gathering, there was a noise in the bushes. ShadowClan cats sprang out! Tallpoppy, Littlecloud, Redstorm, Owlpad, Scorchwind, Cedarheart, Tawnypelt, Russetfur, and all of ShadowClan's best warriors were prepared to attack the she-cat. Apparently ShadowClan had come to their senses and had realized that Stargleam was not as perfect as she thought she was and definitely should not succeed Firestar as leader of ThunderClan. Stargleam's molting orange eyes, which apparently can change colors, showed great surprise at the attack.

Blackstar pushed his way to the front of his warriors, staring sadly at Stargleam. "You can't become leader," he meowed. "Then it will be impossible for us to have kits, not that we're supposed to have kits anyway because it would be breaking the Warrior Code, but I love you so much!"

"I have to lead ThunderClan, Blackstar," Stargleam replied. "It's my destiny. You can't fight fate."

"No!" the leader cried, still horribly out of character. "I don't want to lose you! I'll be stuck with Russetfur as my mate if you become leader!"

Fireheart, who had changed his name, and Graystripe padded up to Blackstar. "It's okay," the ginger tom meowed comfortingly.

"Yeah," added Graystripe. "We love her too!"

Blackstar nodded sadly. "Okay," he meowed, and then the three toms padded away, talking about how much of them all loved the purple protagonist. Russetfur, Millie, and Sandstorm followed them, yelling at the toms for loving another she-cat.

Stargleam decided to name Lionblaze, who had died a few chapters ago, her deputy and he led the rest of ThunderClan back to their camp. She, Jayfeather, Fireheart walked to the Moonpool together so the she-cat could persuade StarClan to give her nine lives, even though they really shouldn't.

"I can't believe it," Stargleam meowed once they reached the Moonpool.

"I can," her father, who for some odd unexplained reason had come back to life after being murdered by Hollyleaf, said. "You'll be a great leader, Stargleam, and I've known it since the first day I saw you, which is pretty impressive considering I'm blind and shouldn't be able to see anything."

"Really?" she asked, comforted by Jayfeather's words.

"Really," the gray tom meowed.

Stargleam smiled for the first time in a long time, though it should have been the first time because cats can't smile. She was so happy! She'd had such a hard time dealing with toms chasing her that she hadn't been able to be happy. Now maybe everything would be okay!

The Moonpool was a round, shiny pool filled with dark, cold water. Stargleam had never seen anything so beautiful in her life.

"I'm so proud of you," Fireheart meowed.

Stargleam purred happily and bent down to lick the icy water.

It was dark! Stargleam was suddenly in a forest. There were many stars in the sky. Just like me, Stargleam thought, looking through the star on her head. Then the stars shone brighter and cats appeared in them. StarClan!

"Are you ready?" shouted a nameless cat in the front.

"Yes!" Stargleam mewed, trembling with excitement.

Bluestar padded up to the protagonist. "With this life I give you leadership," she meowed, touching her nose to Stargleam's. It hurt! The purple she-cat wondered if all the lives would be like this. She didn't think she could deal with the pain eight more times.

Yellowfang was next. "With this life I give you courage," she said. This life hurt like needles, which is totally something cats would know about in the wild, apparently. Clan cats totally do a lot of sewing.

Brambleclaw, who's death had never been mentioned, came next. He put his nose on Stargleam's forehead. It hurt like Tiggerstar's claws! He apparently didn't give her a life, because he said nothing. He totally just wanted to cause Stargleam some pain for not grieving at his death.

Whitestorm stumbled over to her next. "With this life I give you strength. Use it well to protect your Clan."

Leafpool followed Whitestorm. "With this life I give you knowledge." It hurt like fire!

Stargleam also got a life from Brindleface, Tallstar, and Stonefur, three cats she had never met before. Apparently they thought she was just so important and special that they had to be part of her leadership ceremony.

Then...from the clouds...came...a lion!

Stargleam gasped in shock. She hadn't expected a lion to come to her ceremony!

"This is Thunderstar," Tallstar meowed. "He was the first leader of ThunderClan." Apparently Tallstar didn't know his history very well because Thunderstar was indeed a cat, not a lion.

Stargleam couldn't breath! She was so excited and honored! "I can't believe it's really you!"

"It is I," Thunderstar meowed. "I haven't been to a naming ceremony in many seasons- not even to Firestar's- but I came here today because you are the most beautiful, perfect, wonderful cat I have ever seen and I know you will be the best leader of ThunderClan since me."

He then touched his nose to Stargleam's, and the pain was worse than ever before! "With this life I give you heart," he meowed. "You have the strongest heart any cat has ever had, but you need to be even stronger. I thank you for giving the Commandments to the Clans. I do not know what StarClan would do without you. And now for your new name..."

"Wait!" Stargleam cried. "I don't want my name to be Starstar! That would be stupid. I demand to be called Gleamstar!"

Thunderstar narrowed his eyes. If any other cat had demanded a name change, he would have denied it and torn them apart, but because this was Stargleam, the flawless purple she-cat, he would obey her every command. "Very well. I now pronounce you...Gleamstar!"

As the cats of StarClan began to cheer, a wave of darkness crashed over them. The darkness rolled all around them. Gleamstar could smell blood! Tiggerstar and Hollyleaf appeared in the center of the darkness, and they were taking over the Clans and killing many cats. Then suddenly a golden light broke up the darkness. A cat appeared inside the light. It was...Hawkfrost! The former bad-boy, now with a halo over his head, made all of the villains' destruction disappear.

"Mooooooo!" Gleamstar said, apparently having turned into a cow. She couldn't be in love with Hawkfrost! She just couldn't, even though she'd already told him that she loved him a few chapters ago. Now there were four toms she loved with all her heart!