Tigerstar's Ceremony

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I realize that a few people have already written their takes on what occurred during Tigerstar's ceremony, but I had an idea for it so I gave it a go. Enjoy.

Ceremony
The wind churned the tall grass in the moor softly, creating a ripple effect that was pleasing to the eye. It was night, but with the moon nearly full it wasn’t hard to make out even the most miniscule of details.

“Are you ready?” asked a small gray and white tom.

“Yes, I am, Runningnose,” a large tabby replied.

The two toms padded softly into a tunnel, following it’s curves until they reached the center. In the middle was a cavern that held a luminescent rock.

“Lay down and touch your nose to the rock,” Runningnose instructed him with a sneeze.

The tom’s eyes wavered slightly before did as he was told, relaxing into a deep sleep.

Cold. It was the only thing his mind could comprehend. Numbing cold.

“Open yours eyes, Tigerclaw” a rough voice growled.

Tigerclaw lifted his head to see his old mentor, Thistleclaw, standing before him. He wasn’t in by the moonstone anymore, but laying in the Fourtrees. “So StarClan is letting me be a leader, are they?”

Thistleclaw lashed his tail, telling him to be silent. “No, Tigerclaw, I am the only one from StarClan here.”

Tigerclaw’s eyes widened, but he didn’t dare to speak.'' I already have one life! What is he thinking?''

“With this life, TigerClaw, I give you the passion needed to achieve more than any cat before you,” Thistleclaw whispered with a tang of envy in his eyes. The tom nosed Tigerclaw, and a fierce pain racked his body like never before. Jealousy, hatred, love, all of these emotions joining into on entity.

“Come with me,” Thistleclaw ordered, turning around to leave the Fourtrees.

Tigerclaw padded behind, the pain finally ebbing away. As he leaped through a bush that should have led him to WindClan territory, he was shocked to see nothing of the sort.

Before him were eight cats, some he recognized, others he did not. The large tabby stood in a black forest with unmoving air and no-life.

“Where am I?” Tigerclaw demanded.

“Where you are going to be for the rest of your life,” a white tom informed him before Thistleclaw could say anything. “Welcome to the Place of no Stars, TigerClaw. We are here to grant you your last eight lives.”

Tigerclaw nodded and laid down again, bracing himself.

“I am Snowtuft,” the white tom introduced himself with narrowed eyes. “With this life, I give you strength to continue on in the hardest of times and to take what is rightfully yours.” As Snowtuft touched Tigerclaw, he thought his pelt would explode with the power that rushed through his muscles.

Before the dark tabby had a chance to recover, a ginger tom her recognized as Jaggedtooth came forward. “With this life, I give you the wisdom to step back from what you are doing and look at all options,” he delivered the life with a quick touch. This life wasn’t as painful as the others, but it felt strange, like he was seeing things from another view point.

Tigerclaw’s eyes turned to slits as he evaluated the rest of the cats. They looked normal while unmoving, but each had a strange air about them, like something was unhinged or missing.

“With this life,” Brokenstar said as he padded forward, “I give you ambition so that you may always aspire to achieve greater than you are.”

Tigerclaw lay in agonizing pain as the rest of the Place of no Star’s cats came to him and delivered each life.

“With this life I give you charisma to make new allies,” Clawface growled. “You will need all you can get.”

“With this life I give you remembrance for all that have wronged you so that you may settle the bscore,” a dark tabby hissed.

Firestar, Tigerclaw’s mind could think of no other as he received the life.

“With this life I give you tireless energy so that you may never have to rest in your quest to conquer,” a silver she-cat smirked.

“With this life I give you craftiness, so that you know how to use all your resources to their fullest,” a black tom touched noses with him hesitantly, but Tigerclaw paid no attention to this.

As long as I get my lives.

Tigerclaw searched the cats before him, waiting for the next cat to step forward and give him his life. Behind him, the bushes rattled noisily and a black she-cat appeared with stars in her fur. Her green eyes smiled down onto Tigerclaw.

My mother?

“I always knew you would be great,” Leopardfoot purred. “Tigerclaw, my son, with this life I give you greatness, so that no matter where or what you are, you will be able to take it no matter who stands in your way.”

Tigerclaw touched noses with her eagerly. This life had no pain, only emptiness as he realized what he had achieved, and how little it truly was.

I must start thinking bigger and grander than ever before.

The cats vanished almost as quickly as they had come, not even his mother lingered to congratulate the new leader.

“Tigerstar,” Thistleclaw called his attention. “Do not waste what you were given, for it can all be taken away in a heartbeat. We have high hopes for you.”

Tigerstar blinked his amber eyes and he was back at the moonstone, Runningnose sitting next to him, tense.

“Did you receive your lives?” he asked, nervous.

“Of course,” Tigerstar growled, standing up and shaking his pelt.

“How are you feeling?”

Tigerstar ignored the question; he felt better than ever. “Change is coming Runningnose, greater than any cat could ever imagine. And I will be here to lead ShadowClan to the top,” the tabby vowed, his amber eyes burning as he envisioned the glorious future that her would receive.