The Space Between the Stars

"The Warrior Code took moons to establish. Here's a peek into what SkyClan did in the meantime. / AU""(a/n: y'all know i love a good SkyClan. i would do this with the other clans, but a SkyClan timeline is the only one i'm interested in making (i'm not gonna figure out all events between things for a clan i don't like, yknow?) anyway, here's the fanfic containing all ~174 points between Mothflight's Vision and Cloudstar's Journey. i StanClan SkyClan.)""(a/n: another one, i don't consider Thunderstar's Echo or Shadowstar's Life (or any other post-DotC novellas) canon, and this chapter will reflect as much)"

Prologue
"Sterling…" Dew Petal whispered, letting the black-striped kittypet curl his tail around her and lick behind her ear.

"Yes?"

The tom pulled away, his green eyes meeting Dew Petal's teal ones.

"Do you think I could spend the night here, with you? My father is planning to launch a war on ThunderClan tomorrow for trespassing on our territory. I don't think he's right and maybe if I don't come back, he won't do it."

Sterling shrugged and padded away from her, holding his tail upright and pointing the tip for Dew Petal to follow. He pawed a piece of strange white bark upward, slipping in under a hole. Dew Petal cautiously followed.

Sterling patted a nest of colorful furs with his tail and kneaded it a bit, before laying down and patting to invite Dew Petal. Dew Petal purred and curled up to her mate, his warm scent a wonderful lull.

(...)

Birds chirped in the tree in Sterling's neighboring garden. Sterling's owner had founded them in the Twoleg building, she'd scooped up Sterling and sent Dew Petal running. Not that she minded, she'd spent the night with the cat she loved anyway.

She held a cardinal and a goldfinch's wings in her jaws, taking her time in the warm dawn light. The forest was so beautiful at sunrise.

Once she made it back to camp and placed the cardinal on the fresh-kill pile, a pale blue-gray tom rushed up to her.

"Dew Petal!" her father exclaimed, "Where have you  been?"

"Out," Dew Petal replied, Star Flower and Flower Foot coming over as well, "What, is it a crime?"

Skystar lowered his ears and huffed, "No, I suppose not but…" he wrapped his tail around his mate, "Dew Petal, you had us worried sick!"

"Why did you leave without telling us?" asked Star Flower.

Dew Petal felt a pit in her stomach grow. She  couldn't  tell her father she didn't think he was right to launch war. Flower Foot flicked her tail and nodded to her sister, turning to their parents.

"Dew Petal might've been harmed, Skystar," she mewed, pointing to a red thing along Dew Petal's belly. Skystar and Star Flower's eyes went wide. "Let's make sure she's okay and we don't have any foxes on the territory," Flower Foot suggested, "We can call ThunderClan to a meeting and work this out piecefully."

Skystar rapidly nodded and rushed over to Acorn Fur's den while Star Flower found Sparrow Fur, still in the hunter's den and groggy from sleep. Flower Foot nodded and smiled, settling down next to Dew Petal and started to saw off a wing.

"You should'nt've said fox, you know," Dew Petal hissed softly, "You don't need to remind them of Tiny Branch."

Both Dew Petal and Flower Foot had been a bit too young to remember their brother. From what their clanmates told them, a fox had snuck into camp and placed one big bite into his body. He'd lost too much blood to be saved and the poor kitten had died.

"I know," Flower Foot said, a note of regret in her voice, "But there aren't many other things in the forest out for cat blood, you know."

"Badgers."

Acorn Fur was soon over and tapped at Dew Petal's stomach. The she-cat twisted around a bit so that the medicine cat would have a better view at the definite not-blood. The chestnut-brown cat picked the piece of soft red something from her pelt and all three of the she-cats stared confused for a few moments. Acorn Fur ran a paw over Dew Petal's stomach to check for an actual wound and jumped back.

"Dew Petal," she mewed quietly, "You're expecting kits."

One
" Sterling! Sterling! Sterling?!"

It had been a week since Dew Petal had received the news. Of course they were Sterling's, she hadn't gotten close to any other tom.

The week had been filled with various storms and flooding, today the rain had finally let up. Clouds were still dark and strong and threatened to break again at anytime. She stumbled over the fence, new roundness of her belly on her already very-rotund body not very helpful.

She regained her breath and looked around. The garden was full of puddles. She opened her jaws to try and catch a faint scent of the tom. Instead what hit her was something sweet-smelling that made her mouth water. She followed her mouth slowly, but before she got far a meow stopped her. Dew Petal and froze and spun around, looking upward.

A gray tabby sat in the tree in the neighbor's yard, head on his paws, legs and tail swinging lazily.

"Don't drink that."

"Whatever is it? It smells like honeysuckles."

"It's antifreeze," the tom answered, Dew Petal padded closer and sat under him, "After it rained last night, the neighbor on that side-" the tom pointed with his tail to the den behind them, Dew Petal turned to look, "Snuck some in this morning."

"Why would they do that?"

The tom shrugged, "Hates cats. Antifreeze is poison, you know."

"Oh…" Dew Petal mewed, looking through Sterling's windows and hoping she could see him, "Do you know where Sterling is?"

The tom shrugged again, "ER, I'd hope."

Dew Petal blinked and tilted her head. " Eee-ahrr?"

"Sure," said the tom with a light laugh, "He took a drink of it."

Dew Petal felt her heart sink. "W-well, do you know when he'll come back?"

"No clue," he huffed, smile still not leaving his face, "Better to hope he comes back at all than worry about when."

Dew Petal's eyes went wide and she took several seconds to respond, kneading the mud underneath her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," mewed the tom, flicking his ear as a breeze kicked a leaf into it, "If he's lucky, he'll come back but he won't be an outdoor cat anymore."

Dew Petal flattened her ears to his head. "And if he's not lucky?"

"I guess you won't be seeing him whatsoever."

Dew Petal dug her claws deep into the soil and hung her head. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears and up against her chest. She rose her paws and pressed them to her ears, desperate to stomp out the ringing. Once it was gone, she panted.

"Well, um, th-thank your for the… information… um," she looked back up, "I don't believe I ever got your name."

"Fritz. You?"

"Dew Petal."

Fritz, for once in the conversation, showed a hint of emotion, tilting his head in confusion. "Dew Petal? What a strange name."

Dew Petal shrugged, "I can say the same for you."

Fritz tilted his head, "Touché," was all he said, raising up and turning away from the she-cat, sliding off his tree. Dew Petal took that as enough reason she'd better go back.

(...)

Dew Petal took more after Star Flower than she thought she did. It had been little before a week, and Dew Petal's kits were coming early. A stick splintered between her teeth and her claws sank deep into moss. Soon enough, Dew Petal stopped to breath and a loud, high-pitched yowl rang throughout the nursery.

Suddenly filled with energy, Dew Petal sat up and looked back to Acorn Fur, licking a kitten. It-

It looks just like Sterling.

Satisfied with her cleaning, Acorn Fur placed the bundle at her belly. "Congratulations!"

Dew Petal sighed and nodded, looking down at her kitten.

"It's beautiful," whispered Star Flower. "Do you have a name?"

Dew Petal blinked and curled her plumey tail around the kit, "I'd like to name them Birch Pelt."

Star Flower purred. Acorn Fur nodded.

"You know, Dew Petal," Acorn Fur mewed, "Skystar's been talking to me about… a standardized naming system. You know, he thinks it's a bit weird leaders get a part of their name replaced with star and he really liked his Clear."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. He's going to talk about it with the other leaders, but for now he thinks that for their first six moons, kittens get the last name kit. Like, Birchkit."

"And?"

"And after those six moons they get their full name, like Birch Pelt."

Dew Petal purred. Not the worst opinion her father had. "I suppose," she yawned, "We'll see if the other leaders agree."

(...)

Another storm had kicked up. It'd been a week since Fritz had talked to that pretty little she-cat. Now Fritz had his own kitten at his paws.

It's mother's name was Checkers, she lived several houses away and now she'd never return to her owners. The rain had already washed the blood from her pelt and the kit, but that didn't make her any less dead.

D'ya think Dew Petal has had her kits? Fritz shrugged internally and picked up the kitten by the scruff,  Worth a shot, anyhow.

The raindrops fell heavy on Fritz's back, not that he really minded.

He wasn't even that sure why he cared about the kit so much. He'd fathered kits before- at least  one  of the cats he'd mated with  must  have had some. It was probably the fact Checkers had died right in front of him, thinking back, and just how much the kitten looked like her.

Checkers had a pale underbelly and tan black with black spots. The kitten had a pale underbelly, dove-gray back and spots the color of Fritz's gray stripes.

"Halt, trespasser!" came a voice. Looking up, Fritz saw a small, young-looking cream-and-white tom sitting in front of a bramble tunnel. He puffed out his chest, trying to look more important that he was. "State your business!"

Fritz lifted his head up, fully showing the kitten in his jaws. The tom's eyes went wide and he moved from the tunnel, motioning for Fritz to enter. He bent his head over the kit, who cried with every step. Immediately out of the tunnel, the tom led him toward the nursery, where Dew Petal was napping inside. The tom shook her awake and Fritz placed the kit at her belly, alongside a kitten who looked just like Sterling.

So that's why she was so worried about him.

"Fritz."

"Hi, so, uh, my kit's mom died."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Well, I was wondering if you would nurse it?"

"Only if you come and visit."

Fritz shifted his paws uncertainty. "...fine," he grumbled after a moment. "What will you name him?"

"You don't want to?"

"I wouldn't know."

Dew Petal lifted her head and looked down at the kit. "What do you think about Splashing Rain?"

Fritz shrugged, and, hesitating a moment, placed his nose to the kit and nodded to Dew Petal, backing out of the den.

Two
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highbranch for a clan meeting!"

Birch Pelt and Splashing Rain, now a moon old, came tumbling out of the nursery, Dew Petal close behind them.

"Kits, kits!" she mewed as they tumbled into Quick Water's leg. The she-cat smirked and lifted her plumey tail, crashing it on top of them. The kittens squealed and laughed, Quick Water wagging for even more of a game.

"Clanmates," Skystar went on, "Last night, the other leaders and I decided to change the way we name cats. Kittens will be named kit until they become apprentices," he glanced over to his grandchildren, "Like Birchkit or Rainkit. Once they become apprentices, they become paw- Birchpaw, Rainpaw. After six moons, they are given their full name- Birchpelt, Rainsplash."

Honey Pelt stood up, "Does that mean we're getting renamed?"

Skystar turned to his apprentice, "No, you're not Honey Pelt. Dew Petal," he turned back, "If you'd like to rename, then you can."

Dew Petal nodded and crouched down to her kits, now calmed down and thoroughly ruffled.

"But I like Birch Pelt!" Birchkit cried.

Dew Petal purred, "That's okay, you'll be Birch Pelt again soon enough."

"I like Rainkit!" the other squeaked. Dew Petal placed her nose to his head.

Then, lightning split the sky, landing right onto the oak tree between the nursery and hunter den. A branch caught fire and fell off. Red Claw screeched and grapped Honey Pelt, the cat who was closest, by his scruff and threw him forward, away from the flame. Skystar hissed and flung himself over Honey Pelt.

It spread further, into the nursery. Rapidly, Quick Water picked up newly-named Rainkit and Dew Petal did the same to Birchkit.

" Out, get out!" Skystar yowled, nudging Honey Pelt upward. Dew Petal didn't question, rushing out behind Quick Water. Sparrow Fur, the third cat out, looked around rapidly as the clan rushed with them.

"Where do we go?"

Quick Water pointed with her tail, "Last time the camp caught on fire, we went over the river, because the fire couldn't cross," she muttered around Rainkit.

"But it's been raining so long!" Thorn protested, "The river must be twice it's size!"

"No you have a better idea?" Quick Water snapped.

Blossom's voice was next. "Where's Skystar?"

(...)

Birch and Alder had after Thorn, the best swimmer SkyClan had, swan across the deep and rapid river to send for RiverClan aide.

"He can't still be in camp!" Alder mewed, "What about Honey Pelt?"

As if it summoned him, Honey Pelt crashed head-first into Birch.

"Honey Pelt!" the ginger tom exclaimed, "What's happened?"

"The camp's on fire," he said quickly, "Skystar's still there, I think he's fainted."

"Fainted," Alder mewed, looking to Birch, "Do you think he's lost a life?"

"If he's passed out, he must've. Umm, you run Honey Pelt down to the river, I'll go try to grab him."

"Please stay safe," Alder mewed, looping her tail over Honey Pelt's shoulders.

Birch nodded and ran back into camp. The bramble tunnel was orange on top, but the flames had yet to cover the inside. Sure enough, there lie Skystar, still and mangled.

"Oh, StarClan," Birch mewed quitely, "Don't let this be his last life."

He bit into his scruff and immediately, the tom shot awake, startling Birch.

"What are you doing here?"

"Saving your pelt, idiot!" but then Birch broke into a coughing fit as the smoke around them got thicker. Skystar's eyes went wide and grabbing Birch instead, he rushed the tom out. Clearly Skystar remembered the first fire as well as Quick Water did, immediately rushing toward the river.

He set Birch down, who was panting, still clearing his throat and unable to breath through his nose. Skystar looped his tail around his shoulders and stepped into the rapidly rushing river.

The current threatened to drag them further downstream, and neither were strong enough to fight it. Skystar managed to let out one loud yowl as a wave crashed over their heads and lead them downward. Skystar could faintly see Birch's head hit a rock, but couldn't keep his eyes open long.

(...)

" Moon Shad...ow…"  Quick Water whispered as Night and Pine Needle dragged Skystar and Birch from the river. Alder let out a shriek. Acorn Fur whacked her tail into Nettle's flank.

"Go grab Dappled Pelt," she said rapidly. Pine Needle was pushing up and down on Birch's stomach. Eventually the ginger tom coughed up black water and his eyes fluttered open a bit, quickly closing. Alder rushed up and put her paws over his body.

"I'm sorry, Alder," Pine Needle whispered, wrapping his black tail around her.

" No! No, no, noooo! Birch!" She sobbed and placed her muzzle on his cheek, moving one paw in between her chest, "B-Birch, I… I don't know if you remember… or if you can hear me but… remember. Remember when we were still kits, with Misty, and when she said goodbye to a cat she said  godspeed?"

Birch flicked his ear in acknowledgement.

"Well…" she sniffed, "If this is really the end for you…. Th-then… Godspeed, Birch."

Birch smiled and just a heartbeat after that, the fur on his chest stopped sweeping Alder's paw.

Alder let out another yowl and sobbed harder into his pelt. On the other side of the rocky clearing, Skystar coughed. Star Flower, Flower Foot and Dew Petal, kits in tail, surrounding him.

"Sparrow Fur," he rasped, summoning the calico. She stepped closer. Skystar placed his white paw on Sparrow Fur's own.

"Will you lead SkyClan after me?"

Sparrow Fur looked down at the tom, wondering where all his nobility had gone. He'd lost all his lives so quickly. Sparrow Fur leaned down and touched her nose to his ear.

"I will never live up to you."

Skystar wheezed, "You don't have to live up to me. You just have to lead…" With one last wheeze, he stopped breathing entirely. Star Flower yowled and collapsed onto him. Dew Petal pressed her kits closer and pressed into Flower Foot's tan chest.

Sparrow Fur leaned back up, swallowing back her own cries and looked around the clearing. The worst of damages looked to be emotional. Dapple Pelt and Acorn Fur had herbs in their jaws and Pine Needle was weaving around the cats, but Acorn Fur's gaze was caught on Sparrow Fur. She dipped her head.

"Sparrowstar."

Three
Sparrow Fur took a deep breath as she looked up at the gaping hole of Mothermouth. It'd been a few days since the fire, which wasn't nearly as bad as the clan had feared. It got the camp, but for the most part was just a smokefest.

"Are you ready?" asked Acorn Fur.

"...do I really need my lives so soon?"

"We've already walked all the way up here, Sparrow Fur, you're getting your lives if I have to knock you out myself."

Sparrow Fur let out a  mrrow  of amusement, then sighed. "Okay. Fine. ...what was it like with Skystar?"

"I don't know, I didn't get his lives with him. Looked like it hurt."

Sparrow Fur shuddered and Acorn Fur touched her white tail-tip to the bridge of her muzzle. "The tunnel is small and dark," she informed, "Don't lose me." Sparrow Fur nodded and slowly, Acorn Fur padded forward. For a while it was comfortable, but soon the walls started to press inward, touching the ends of her whiskers. Light taps echoed on the stone as their whiskers brushed against the cold stone, but after several more steps, the tunnel grew again and Sparrow Fur saw a stone the height of a tree. Moonlight seeped into the den, lighting up the place.

"Come on," Acorn Fur mewed, "Once it's moonhigh it's  blindingly  bright."

"What do I do?"

"Just go up and place your nose to it. StarClan will take you soon enough."

Sparrow Fur nodded and followed Acorn Fur's example. Paws shaking, she laid down next to the stone and placed her nose to the ice-cold surface. Acorn Fur wrapped her tail around her haunches, but Sparrow Fur was only faintly aware. The blackness of her eyelids was quickly being replaced with a forest, leaves of trees dark blue with stars in each. Ranks of starry cats then appeared in front of her.

"Welcome Sparrow Fur," came a voice she faintly recognized. Blinking, she saw her own striking image staring back at her.

" Mom!" she yowled, tumbling into her.

"Sparrow Fur! Sparrow Fur!" Turtle Tail cried, licking her head. Sparrow Fur could've stayed in her mother's paws forever, but after one more lick to her eye, Turtle Tail shoved her off and stood. She placed her nose to Sparrow Fur's, who let out a whimper.

"With this life I give you a mother's love."

A scene unfolded before Sparrow Fur's eyes. Turtle Tail sat in the nursery, kits playing around. Then they were gone, and Turtle Tail was running, up toward the Thunderpath. Sparrow Fur dug her claws into the ground, eyes going wide and letting out a breath as she felt a monster tumble into her side and across her body.

Next came a calico, sweeping her head under Turtle Tail's chin before Turtle Tail stepped away.

"My name is Bumble," she mewed, "I lived with your father and Turtle Tail when she was a kittypet." Sparrow Fur nodded, "With this life I give you compassion." Claws sank into Sparrow Fur's pelt, but she couldn't see who- or what- was making them. She blinked and next thing her knew, she was sitting in Turtle Tail's paws. Coming back to StarClan, a gray cat was in front of her.

"Dad?"

Gray Wing nodded. "With this life I give you selflessness," her chest was tight, so tight she felt like her bones would shatter in on themselves. Gray Wing licked the space between her eyes, and the pain was gone.

Next was Bright Stream, who brushed her tail under Skystar's chin before coming up to Sparrow Fur. She gave her a life for trusting her clan, and Sparrow Fur felt the ground leave from under her paws and claws dug deep into her back. Then was Petal, who's pain felt like Gray Wing's but stuffier, giving her the life of bravery. Next was Micah, who gave farsightedness. Then was Tiny Branch, who gave happiness. Then was Birch, who's life was loyalty. Finally Skystar stepped up, dipping his head to her.

"With this life I give you confidence."

Sparrow Fur expected it to be the drowning, but no, it was worse than that. First came claws across her throat, then what felt like a thousand sharp, heavy stones on her leg. Claws across her shoulder, claws down her stomach, claws, claws, claws…

Sparrow Fur knew Skystar didn't lose all his lives in battle and that no clan cat was that ferocious. Regaining her senses, she managed to look up to Skystar. Once she saw that his eyes were averted away from her, away from the crowd, she knew exactly what all that pain was. Skystar sighed.

"No matter. Your old life is no more, you have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you guardianship of SkyClan. Defend it well, care for young and old, honor your ancestors, live each life with pride and dignity. I hail you by your new name, Sparrowstar!"

" Spar-row-star! Spar-row-star!"

(...)

" Spar-row-star! Spar-row-star!"

Sparrowstar lifted her chin as her clan called her name around her. She stepped down from the Highbranch, next to Acorn Fur.

"Who will you appoint as deputy?" she asked. Sparrowstar looked around the crowd. Thorn had always been quite the helpful cat, but Thorn had always been quite the ambitious cat. Her gaze drifted to the tan tabby in front of the nursery. Sparrowstar tapped her shoulder to Acorn Fur.

"I'm going to take Flower Foot and tell the other clans about Skystar's death. I'll see if she accepts."