Squirrelflight blinked open her eyes and found herself on the Gathering island, the glittering ranks of StarClan surrounding her from all sides. A shiver passed through her body. She had waited for this moment since she had been kitted. “Firestar!” she mewed joyfully as her father padded up to face her. “Are you well? I miss you so much!” “Oh, Squirrelflight.” His green eyes were shining. “I am prouder of you than I can ever say.” His tail swished across the long grass. “But for now I have something to give you.” He touched noses with Squirrelflight. “With this life I give you courage. Use it well when faced with threats to ThunderClan.” A tremor shook through Squirrelflight’s body as she heard the roars and screeches of battle echoing around her. Energy exploded beneath her pelt, and her fur was bristling. Gasping for breath, she saw Firestar pad away. A young black tom took his place. Squirrelflight recognized Larksong, her daughter’s mate, who had died from eating poisonous prey. “I wish you were allowed to speak of this ceremony to any cat,” he mewed. “So I could tell Sparkpelt I love her and our kits so much. But I am not here to share sad stories. With this life I give you acceptance. Clan leaders cannot fix everything, and sometimes all you can do is accept it and move on.” This life was less painful, and Squirrelflight lifted her tail in a goodbye gesture. The next cat was also black, but they were a she-cat this time. “Hollyleaf!” she exclaimed. “It’s so good to see you!” “You too,” her adopted daughter mewed happily. “I’m so glad to be with Fallen Leaves and Leafpool again!” She bent her head to touch noses with her foster mother. “With this life I give you loyalty. Use it well.” Thrumming energy filled Squirrelflight from ears to tail-tip. She blinked gratefully at Hollyleaf as the feeling stopped, and watched her pad away, grateful to StarClan for the daughter she had raised. “Juniperkit!” She felt a jolt. She hadn’t known that kits could give leaders lives. She gazed fondly at her son. “I give you a life for empathy,” the tiny kit mewed as he struggled to stretch his neck high enough to touch noses with his mother. She blinked happily at Juniperkit as the warm feeling faded. “Is Dandelionkit with you?” “I’m here.” The squeaky mew of her lost daughter startled Squirrelflight. “I give you a life for mercy. Use it well to make ThunderClan strong but kind to any cat in need.” Dandelionkit stepped away from her as she felt a rushing sensation: pity, indecision, fury, mixed feelings swirling beneath her pelt so fiercely she thought she would burst. Flickerkit was the next cat to pad up to her. The tiny tortoiseshell kit was the dead son of Sparkpelt and Larksong, and Squirrelflight had almost forgotten what he looked like. Muscles showed beneath his glossy pelt, even though he was still the size of a newborn kit like he had been when he died. “Squirrelflight, my life is for energy. Use it well defending your Clan.” Squirrelflight felt like she was back in the old forest, when Dustpelt was her mentor and she had been Squirrelpaw. She felt her paws skimming long grass, and could hear Spiderpaw’s yowl: “Squirrelpaw! Wait for me!” Sandstorm padded over to replace Flickerkit. “You did well,” she murmured to the tortoiseshell tom-kit. Turning to her daughter, she mewed, “I give you a life for
In progress WARRIORS FAN BTW
