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clansofafeather · 5 months ago

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PROLOGUE

CW: KIT DEATH, MANIPULATION ON STARCLAN'S END

(This takes place in the past! Not current day! The inbox is currently open for questions!)

Five cats padded along a rocky, cliff-like surface. Dark clouds swirled overhead, and rain pelted down harshly on the travelers. Every now and then one would slip, but no-cat bothered to stop and help.

One of the cats, a white she-cat with patches of gray splashed on her fur, glanced up at the sky, then at the cat behind her, a small black kit with white paws.

“Raven,” She began, pausing for just a moment to speak with her kit. “Come here. Let me carry you.”

Raven scrambled beneath his mother’s belly, letting out a soft mewl as the she-cat lifted him by his scruff. He instinctively curled into the carrying position, and the two cats continued their travels.

Another one of the cats, a blue-gray tom, turned to the she-cat, his lips curled in a snarl.

“I told you to leave him behind, Puddle.” He growled, lashing his tail. His pelt was soaked, his ears flat against his ears.

“I can’t!” Puddle cried, her voice muffled by Raven’s fur. “I’ve already lost my other kits, Needle. I can’t lose him too.”

Needle’s gaze only hardened, and he turned away with a twitch of his whiskers. “We don’t have time for this. Just hurry up, we’re already almost there.”

Puddle lowered her head, and the cats continued on. The rain only continued to pour.

Soon enough the group of five was out of the cliffs, and in the forest. Trees loomed ahead, darkening the world around them and only making it harder to see through the rainy haze.

“Hawthorn, what’s ahead?” Another one of the members, an elderly white she-cat, questioned as she padded to the side of a dark ginger tom.

The ginger tom, Hawthorn, looked down at the elder. “Appears to be a river, Cloud.”

Cloud let out a hum of acknowledgement. “We’re making good time.”

Needle hissed, pushing past Puddle and stepping forward with bristled fur. “How do we know you can be trusted? We’ve been walking for hours and all we’ve gotten is sore paws and soaked fur!”

Cloud slowly turned her head to face Needle. Though her expression held a gentle smile, Puddle could see the annoyance in her eyes.

“Don’t be foolish, child,” She said, her voice a low grumble. “I know what I saw. The cat in my dreams told me to bring us all here. Now…Let’s cross the river. We’re almost there.”

“Cross!?” Puddle exclaimed, setting Raven down for a moment to speak. “Cloud, we can’t cross! We’ll freeze!”

“It’s the only way,” Cloud insisted, looking back at Puddle with a purr. “When we’re settled in our new home we’ll be warm…Safe. Raven will be happy there.”

Hawthorn and Needle let out murmurs of agreement and nods as Cloud spoke.

Puddle watched, ears flat as the other three cats began to cross the rushing water. Raven looked up at her, his blue eyes wide with curiosity and mild fear.

The gray and white she-cat leaned down, gently nuzzling her son’s dampened fur and purring.

“Don’t worry,” She murmured, voice soft. “Cloud is right. Where we’re going, you’ll be happier. I promise.”

Raven only smiled, and Puddle lifted him up by his scruff again. She took a deep breath, before plunging her body into the river.

The water was freezing cold, as she expected, and Puddle held back a yowl of surprise as the current tried to sweep her away. She took deep breaths and kept her grip on Raven’s scruff as tight as she could as she kicked her legs.

Everything happened so fast.

Puddle’s eyes widened as a particularly powerful rush of water sent a wave barreling towards her. Unthinking, she opened her mouth in a silent yowl as she was momentarily shoved beneath the water and pushed head-first into a rock. A combination of an earthy and metallic taste filled her mouth as she writhed and struggled, kicking her legs as hard as she could and forcing herself above the current, sputtering and paddling helplessly against the harsh flow.

A tiny, flowing streak of blood dribbled down her mouth as she looked around frantically, rain pouring down on her head. Where was Raven?

“Mama!”

The shriek, which could only belong to the black and white kit, sounded so far away.

No! Puddle swam to the bank of the river, where she was greeted by Hawthorn. The ginger tom’s expression was fearful as he gave Puddle’s pelt a few quick licks.

“Puddle-”

“No, no, no!” Before Hawthorn could finish his words, Puddle began to run. Her pelt felt heavy from being so damp, and her paws ached, but adrenaline was all that made her keep pressing forward.

The she-cat ran and ran, calling out Raven’s name and searching the riverbank for any sign that he had washed up. Maybe he got scared and ran away, wishing to dry himself off?

It felt like hours before Puddle’s energy finally ran out, and with shaky legs she collapsed onto the ground below her, panting heavily. Her body trembled violently from fatigue and grief. It was dark now, and even though it had stopped raining the queen’s vision was still blurred with unfallen tears.

“No…Oh, my son…My baby…”

“I’m sorry.”

An unfamiliar voice made Puddle look up. A cat stood before her, their ginger fur glittering with tiny stars.

“Please!” She pleaded, using the last of her strength to throw herself at the starry cat’s paws with a begging expression. “Have you seen my son? He-”

The starry cat cut her off. “Your son is gone.”

Puddle felt her blood run cold. She yowled in grief, burying her face into her front paws and letting violent sobs escape her body. The starry cat sat beside her, placing a white-tipped tail on her back.

“I know it hurts, but…Please, I must ask that you listen to me. You were brought here for a purpose.” They meowed, and Puddle glared up at them.

“How dare you!?” She hissed, swiping up at the cat’s face. Her unsheathed paw phased through, and the cat looked unbothered by the action.

“I know you’re hurting, and I know your pain will never go away. But if you could just listen to me-”

“My son is DEAD.” Puddle snapped back, fur bristling.

The cat blinked, and looked up at the sky. “You will meet him again, when you join the stars. Look up, don’t you see?”

Puddle looked up at the now-darkened sky. The clouds cleared, revealing a single twinkling star.

She gasped, “Is that him?”

The cat nodded. “Yes. I need you to gather others and form a clan. Your three friends have been told to do the same. Together, the four of you can form a community and bond. I will guide you along the way.”

“I can’t do that.” Puddle slowly laid on the ground again, tucking her legs beneath her body and flicking her tail. “My heart hurts so much.”

“Look,” The cat gestured to the front of Puddle, and she looked up.

She was sitting on a small cliff, a tiny waterfall leading to a small pool of water in the clearing below. The grass was bright, flowing gently in the breeze.

“This is where you and your kin will grow and thrive,” The cat explained, smiling gently. “The pain of your loss will become the energy you need to lead.”

Puddle considered the words, sniffling. The clearing was beautiful, and the thought of her future generations living there…Thriving there…Filled her aching heart with the smallest spark of warmth.

“Alright, then.” She finally meowed, sighing heavily as she lifted herself back onto her paws. “I’ll do this.”

“I knew you would. Come here, now.”

Puddle stepped in front of the starry cat, and they touched their nose to her forehead. She gritted her teeth and winced as a burning energy rushed through her body, intense and painful enough to make her dig her claws into the earth below her.

When the cat stepped back, they dipped their head. “I have given you the blessing of nine lives. From this day forward you shall be known as Puddlestar, leader of whatever name you choose to give your new clan. Use your lives wisely, and lead your clan to greatness.”

Before Puddlestar could say anything else, the cat turned and vanished into the night, in the direction she came from. Staring into the clearing once again, she considered a name.

RavenClan?

No. That was too much. She couldn’t even bring herself to mention his name.

She sat and curled her tail around her paws, pondering, before the name came to her.

CraneClan.

Yes. It was perfect.

Cranes were large, beautiful, powerful…

And her clan would be too.

#warrior cats #warriors oc #warriors fanfic #cw animal death #cw child death #puddlestar #needlestar #cloudstar #hawthornstar #ravenkit

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warrior-cats-rewritten · 6 months ago

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Leader Lives: Leafstar

Leafstar! Miss Mama Cat! First leader of New!Skyclan.

For those new here, Leader Lives is the in-depth look on the 9 lives a leader gets during their ceremony, how they lost them, and in what order.

Her first life is a special one. It is given to her by Firestar. While fighting against the rats, Firestar sees a vision of Runningwind. Runningwind looks at Leafstar and tells Firestar that he can transfer a life to her, but he'll have to give it up as if he is dying.

He collapses under the rat pile, meets with Runningwind, and transfers over the life. (Runningwind also spills the beans that Sandstorm is pregnant OOPSIE)

Leafdapple's first life is Firestar's Life, for Reigniting Skyclan.

Her second life is from the recently passed Skywatcher, who gives her a life for Hope. Hope is not a wonderful, pretty thing. It can be watching the stars night after night, pleading and begging for your family to be reunited, for your home to be saved. Hope is heavy in Leafdapple's chest.

Her third life is from a cat named Hen. Hen is Leafdapple's mother. She gives her baby girl a life for Love. The fierce love that a mother has for her children, but also the ferocious love of a loyal friend, and a love for your home.

Her fourth is from Redstar, for Wisdom. She is a smart cat, who will need to make logical choices, but not forget her emotional intelligence that will help her make the choices that are truly wise.

Her fifth life is from Birchstar, ancestor of Clovertail and Heavystep, and she gives Leafdapple a life for Sympathy and Understanding. Every cat's situation is unique, and though you may not always understand, it is best to listen rather than ignore.

Her sixth life is from Swiftstar. See things through to the end, no matter what. Do your best to keep going, and never let others down, never break promises. Swiftstar was always the more rough, straightforward type.

Her seventh life is from Dawnstar, for Selflessness. If someone had just shown a little bit of this trait that night, a horrible Era in history could have stopped before it began, and a horrific injustice would have never happened.

Her eighth life is from Cloudstar. He gives her the life for Endurance. The strength that can last through terrible journeys, push on when your heart breaks, and keeps you going, even when things seem hopeless.

Then... Quiet. Is this it? Is Skyclan's new leader only going to get 8 lives? Is this a bad sign?

Then, on the horizon, a voice calls out. A beautiful voice that sings like a bird...

Birdflight bounds over the horizon, many other lost Skyclan cats flooding in until stars are sparkling all over, more plentiful than the dapples on Leafdapple' pelt. Shimmering and shining and calling out to one another, free from their ghostly wandering and Rat prisons and returned from their hiding spot in the old Starclan... They form Sky-Starclan, otherwise known as the Skywatcher Lights.

Birdflight steps forward and grants Leafstar a life for Faithfulness. Even when things are at their lowest, and everything feels pointless, like you'll never be happy again... You will. Happiness may not be constant, but neither is misery. You will see your loved ones again.

The first life to be lost is Dawnstar's during Skyclan's Destiny. Leafstar takes a lethal blow meant for Harvey that Red had tried to get in the way of. Leafstar had shoved her out of the way and taken it on herself. She asks Dawnstar if helping the other cats is the right thing to do. Dawnstar shows her a vision. Dawnstar, laying in her den, dying of Greencough. She is offered the last bit of catmint by her medicine cat, only for a small kitten to catch her sight. He is sick, but Dawnstar sees Starclan spirits nodding their heads in approval at him. Dawnstar denies treatment, and the kit grows up to be the legendary Marshstar, the leader who lead Shadowclan out of a very dark era and away from the time of Ripplestar. Leafstar takes in Red and Harely.

Her next life lost is from Birchstar. She loses the life saving Harry and drowning during Flooded Skies (WCR!Skyclan and The Stranger). She had been very cautious, and with a gifted Medic like Echosong, Skyclan was incredibly safe for quite some time, leaving life loss at minimal, even with a huge Whitecough outbreak. She sees Birchstar's death, infection gripping her as she struggles to breathe, feverish and frightened about where she will go after she dies, after all, what should become a leader that exiles an entire Clan? It's that Sympathy and Understanding that makes Leafstar a much more open minded person, and though it has drawbacks like letting Harry into Skyclan for that amount of time, Leafstar would rather make a mistake than toss out an innocent.

Her third life lost is from Swiftstar, to the sickness that sweeps through Skyclan during their journey, with Leafstar dying instead of Firefern now. After a long period of relative peace, she hadn't lost a life in quite a while, and... This is the first of many sudden losses. She gets to see how Swiftstar lost his final life, fighting a battle that he could never have won against Shadowclan, their leader Gorsestar tearing open his belly. Even with the lethal wounds, Swiftstar manages to leave a nasty scar on Marshfall's face, giving him the new name Marshscar. Even dying, Swiftstar stuck to his ground, though not the best cat to have lived, it taught Leafstar about staying determined until the bitter end.

The fourth life taken is from Redstar, lost when she is poisoned by Juniperclaw. The life showcased the horrible truth of the last leader involved in Skyclan's exile. Gorsestar, Cloudstar's son, had risen to power within Shadowclan, and attacked Redstar as the Sky Oak died at a Gathering. In the horrible fight, Redstar had fallen off if the rock the 2 fought on, snapping his neck, but remaining alive just long enough to see Shadowclan's leader crushed to death under the rotted oak, split by disease and a lightning strike.

She is then given a vision of Ripplestorm, son of Gorsestar, becoming Ripplestar, launching attacks in an aimless goal before nearly being struck directly with lightning, the stone itself being steuck and the current from the bolt itself killing him... The leader's remaining placing a BAN on talking about Skyclan.

The 4 leaders step forward, bow their heads, and apologize...

Leafstar's fifth life lost is the one from Birdflight. Rather than going first through branches, she instead watches over her Clanmates when they go over a branch that sits over a rapid, swollen river, watching in case anyone falls in, as only 1 cat can go at a time. Gravelpaw falls into the river, and when Leafstar goes into the water to save them, she is only able to save Gravelpaw, drowning herself before Ebonyclaw can grab her out. She meets with Birdflight, and they talk. Birdflight tells her to be strong, that Skyclan will stick together, she needs to hold onto her faith that things will get better.

Her next lost life was the one from Skywatcher. During Squirrelflight's Freedom, when a rockslode is triggered by the fight against the Sisters, Leafstar is caught in it too. She bleeds out through a large wound that a sharp rock put into her front left leg. She watches the trial in Starclan, though is not allowed to speak in it. Skywatcher sits with her, and reminds her that Skyclan, and subsequently Sky-Starclan, is different for a reason.

Leafstar's seventh life lost is from Hen. A few moons after Squirrelflight's Hope, taking place during Princess' Passing but only seen in a Lost Stars Bonus Chapter, Billystorm is found Leaf-fall afternoon to be dead. He died in his sleep, having a peaceful nap with Leafstar after their midday meal. He most likely had a blood clot or some kind of heart attack. It was probably the worst moment in Leafstar's life. After his funeral, she would simply lay in her den, not eating or drinking unless Freckleshine and Fidgetflake pushed her to do it. At one point Leafstar opens her eyes to see the swirling meadow of Starclan's entrance. Seeking comfort, she picks Hen, and cries to her beloved mother that her heart has shattered. Hen comforts her daughter, telling her that she will see Billystorm again, it's only a matter of time. She tells Leafstar that she still has life ahead of her, and while it's normal to miss Billystorm, her kits need her too, and Billystorm wouldn't want her to grieve herself to death.

Leafstar's next life lost is... Well....

Nightheart sends a message to Skyclan from Tigerstar during ASC Book 2. Just a spice trade, some coriander for some dill...

Leafstar, atop the one of the highest branches in the old sycamore that Skyclan's camp holds, stops talking. She lurches, her chest in agony. She falls from the highest branch...

The life she picks to lose is the one from Firestar, and she finally gets to see her friend again. She requests gently to see how he died. What happened while Skyclan were at the Gorge?

He plays out exactly what happened. His death at Tigerclaw's paws, along with springing out of his own body to finish the tyrant off. To Leafstar, it's nothing short of magical.

Leafstar wakes up, but begins to shake, her eyes rolling back once more as the world fades again.

Confused, Leafstar glances at the only cat whose life she has not spent. Cloudstar.

He informs her that the fall from her heart stopping broke her neck, taking her 9th life. Skyclan will be okay, it always has been. She was the best choice for leader to reignite Skyclan, and now she deserves to rest.

She sees Billystorm again, running to him and purring with a much younger voice, her body now back to the moment she was happiest.

What she does not know, is that as she died, Waspwhisker and the missing Skyclan cats have just wandered back into camp... Now what is Skyclan to do with 2 deputies?

#warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats rewrite #wcr #leafstar #firestar #skywatcher #runningwind #leafstar's mom #redstar #birchstar #swiftstar #dawnstar #cloudstar #birdflight #billystorm #leader lives #wc worldbuilding

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