The Red Path

That night, after Bloomstar's vigil, I dreamed that I was at Fourtrees. Mossstorm was in the center. He isn't breathing! I thought. I began to panic. I muttered a prayer to StarClan. Then Mossstorm stood. "Thank you." I whispered. Mossstorm looked confused. He looked up. His expression changed. I followed his gaze. The stars were moving. Eventually, they came closer and turned into cats. I recognized some of them. Sunfur! My heart leaped with joy. Bloomstar! Other cats rested upon the ground, such as Spottedleaf, Yellowfang, and other cats I did not know.

"Welcome Mossstorm." They spoke as one, peaceful voice filling the air. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"

"Yes." Mossstorm replied.

Yellowfang padded up to Mossstorm and they touched noses. "With this life I give you compassion. You know how to use it." she meowed. Suddenly, Mossstorm drew back and gritted his teeth, as if he were in pain. Then he gasped.

An unknown cat took her place. "Whitebird!" Mossstorm meowed. "I've missed you so much."

"With this life I give you courage. Use it well in times of need." Again, he drew back. He looked as if he was being crushed and electrocuted at the same time.

"Mother still loves you. Don't blame yourself because of the past." she meowed.

Spottedleaf walked up to give him his third life. "With this life I give you love, for your mate, kits, and every clan member, no matter how old." This time, his expression changed. He looked sympathetic.

A small cat, much older than Mossstorm himself padded up. "My name is Silvernose. I died of greencough just before you were apprenticed. With this life I give you hope. Use it well to reassure your clan, even in the darkest night." Mossstorm's expression changed, and he looked as if he could win any battle, hunt any prey, and as if nothing could possibly go wrong.

A cat smelling of herbs approached him. She must be the medicine cat, I thought. "With this life I give you defense. Use it in picking fights, don't risk spilt blood in pointless battles." He looked as if he could scream that he was on fire. "Thank you Fernheart. You have taught Skyfern well," he meowed.

An apprenticed replaced the medicine cat. "Featherpaw!" Mossstorm exclaimed. "It was my fault you died."

"Don't say that. You taught me well. You were still young. I was only your first apprentice," he meowed. "With this life I give you speed and tireless energy. Use it well when a member of your clan needs it most." Mossstorm looked weak. Gradually, he looked like he could run all the way back to camp. "Thank you. You training has paid off, even in StarClan."

A tiny kit leaped over to greet Mossstorm. Instantly his expression turned to sadness. "Flakekit. It should have been me. Carried away by that hawk," he meowed

"It's alright." Flakekit meowed. "With this life I give you peace. Use it along with hope to light up the night."

Bloomstar! I thought. "With this life I give you wisdom. Use it well in mentoring young apprentices." Flames flickered in his eyes as his preceder drew away. "Remember this day. StarClan has never regretted its choice." She dipped her head and backed away.

Finally, a Trish she-cat padded up to him. "Welcome my son, I always knew you'd be important one day." she touched her nose to his and announced, "With this life I give you faith and trust in yourself, your clan, and in StarClan. Remember this life, for it must become a part of you." Mossstorm looked as though he bore the burden of all other eight lives all over again, plus a new sense of peace. She stepped back. "I hail you by your new name: Mossstar. Your old life is no more. You have been granted the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan now grants you the guardianship of LeafClan. Defend it well, care for young and old, honor your ancestors and the warrior code, live each life with pride and dignity."

"Mossstar! Mossstar!" StarClan chanted. I joined them. Eventually, Mossstar faded and disappeared.

My dream went black. Then my pelt and the grass around me was stained with blood. I saw a cat in front of me. "I am Bluestar, a descended leader of the great forest clan, ThunderClan. I have shown you this ceremony for a reason. You are forbidden to speak of it, even to Mossstar. Use this knowledge wisely, or it will destroy you." A wave of blood crashed over me. The sky was as bright as the sun, moon, and all the stars out together. I could hear Bluestar hiss in my ear. "Remember the prophecy, for there is a second. One will stray from five and fight the tail of the killer. He will meet the Sky, River, Thunder, Shadow, and Wind to fall or raise. Blood will spill and lives will be lost, until darkness shall overcome the forest." The lake of blood swept me away. Screeching in fear, darkness began to swallow me up, calling my name.

"Rabbitpaw!"

I leaped awake. Birdpaw was standing over me.

"Mossstorm wants you at the Sandy Hollow."

.

I ran my paws on his back. He threw me off. I smelled something. Badger! While I was distracted, Mossstorm threw me off.

Blood roaring in my ears, I charged at the badger. Fortunately, I caught it off-guard. It turned around furiously, snapping its jaws. It finally built up the strength to throw me off. When at long last it managed to pin me, I thought it was the end. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. I could hear Mossstorm's voice ringing in my ears. "I'm a badger. I'm too big and heavy." Nevertheless, I unsheathed my hind claws, and pushed. Shockingly, the badger flew through the air, hit the side of the ravine, and landed on its flank, hard. It laid there, limp.

I turned back around, and my mentor's eyes were wide. "Catch me a vole, a blackbird, and three mice," he meowed briefly after an awkward silence.