The Gift of Life
Thistlestrike walked towards the Spirit Stone, smiling at each cat that he passed as he made it . All he had to do was go and lie down on the stone, accepting the responsibility as leader. Shakily, he stepped onto the stone and lied down, curling into a ball and closing his eyes. He felt the lure of the ancestors and let himself succumb to the darkness.
Wind whooshed past him as his eyes were pried open. As he looked around, he came face-to-face with the cats of his past, circling around him. There were some faces that he loved, others that haunted him at night, but each face was a remembrance of the past. Directly in front of him stood his mentor, holding her head up high. “You have done the clan proud, Thistlestrike, proving yourself worthy of the leadership. You’ve repeatedly shown why the clan trusts you and I am honoured to have been your mentor.”
She walks up to him, placing her nose to his forehead. “With this life, I give you instincts. Use this gift to learn to trust yourself and your choices. You are a strong leader and know the right decisions, but you need to use your instincts,” Silentecho says, looking at Thistlestrike with adoring eyes. Taking a step back, she walked away, fading away as Thistlestrike felt a breeze pass by him.
Stepping up, Thistlestrike felt a warm rush go through his body as Lionmask walked up, holding himself close to Thistlestrike. “I always felt so honoured to be in the clan. I just wish I could be there when you took your leadership. So, with this life, I give you pride. Please use it in your choices, even when everyone else doubts you.”
The warmth in his body quickly changed, for a completely different reason as he came face-to-face with the next cat. “Foxleap?” Thistlestrike says in surprise as he takes a step towards his deceased mate but stops, realising that he would go right through her.
“I am giving you faith with this life. Make sure you use it well to have faith in others to do the right thing when the times are rough,” Foxleap says, smiling at Thistlestrike with love flowing through them both. She swiftly licked his cheek before walking away, fading into the light that encompassed them.
A cat circled around him as Thistlestrike felt grass under his feet. Thistlestrike watched the small fuzzy grey cat as he stopped in front of him. “Oh Thistlestrike, with this life, I give you compassion. Use it well in being compassionate towards those who may not deserve it.”
As the cat walk away, a large cat walked through him, going straight to Thistlestrike and placing her nose against Thistlestrike’s head. “With this life, I give you adventure. You should use it to explore beyond what scares you, like what you taught my Petalpaw.”
“Haretail...” Thistlestrike began as he walked towards the youngster, but she had already began to walk away from him. “I’m sorry!”
“It wasn’t your fault,” she calls back as she disappears. Thistlestar blinks, not sure how to respond when the next cat hops forward, appearing in front of him.
“Cricketchrip,” Thistlestrike says, looking at the tall cat in front of him. “I….”
“Don’t say anything, please,” he says, “I give you happiness with this life to remind you that you are allowed your own happiness; do not always put the clan first.”
Thistlestrike places his forehead against his littermate’s. “I miss you so much,” he whispers as a tear rolls down his face.
Cricketchirp takes a step back, smiling at him sadly before being pushed into the light by the next cat. The cat, Silentsong, walked forward, placing his nose to the head of Thistlestrike. “I want you to use this life for trust. Trust in the friends that you have made; they will protect you and help you lead if you let them. Use this life to allow yourself friendships outside of leading the clan.”
As he walked away, Silentsong passed Littlebird, who brushed passed each other, sending a gust of wind through Thistlestrike. Littlebird smiled brightly as she walked over to him, holding a leap in her step. She pressed her nose to his forehead. “I am giving you this life, and confidence with it to make the decisions with confidence, not doubting yourself or the decisions that you believe are the best for the clan.”
The cat walked away from Thistlestrike , fading away with each step as the wind dies down. As all was still, Thistlestrike was faced with the one cat he was dreading having to face. Applestar was sat in the circle, facing him with a frown. “Thistlestrike, it’s time for my leadership to end. Now, it’s your turn. With this life, I give you honour. Use it well to honour the past, not allowing the clan to fall with your ideology that you thrust upon them.”
Applestar reluctantly presses her nose against his head, still frowning as she backs away. “I hail you by your new name, Thistlestar. Your old life is over. You’ve now received the nine lives of a leader, and the ancestors grants you the guardianship of Thornclan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honour your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.”
Thistlestar began to feel himself succumb to darkness as he opened his eyes, finding himself back in reality. His head throbbed as he sat up, surrounded by the members of his clan, chanting his name: “Thistlestar!”
Wind whooshed past him as his eyes were pried open. As he looked around, he came face-to-face with the cats of his past, circling around him. There were some faces that he loved, others that haunted him at night, but each face was a remembrance of the past. Directly in front of him stood his mentor, holding her head up high. “You have done the clan proud, Thistlestrike, proving yourself worthy of the leadership. You’ve repeatedly shown why the clan trusts you and I am honoured to have been your mentor.”
She walks up to him, placing her nose to his forehead. “With this life, I give you instincts. Use this gift to learn to trust yourself and your choices. You are a strong leader and know the right decisions, but you need to use your instincts,” Silentecho says, looking at Thistlestrike with adoring eyes. Taking a step back, she walked away, fading away as Thistlestrike felt a breeze pass by him.
Stepping up, Thistlestrike felt a warm rush go through his body as Lionmask walked up, holding himself close to Thistlestrike. “I always felt so honoured to be in the clan. I just wish I could be there when you took your leadership. So, with this life, I give you pride. Please use it in your choices, even when everyone else doubts you.”
The warmth in his body quickly changed, for a completely different reason as he came face-to-face with the next cat. “Foxleap?” Thistlestrike says in surprise as he takes a step towards his deceased mate but stops, realising that he would go right through her.
“I am giving you faith with this life. Make sure you use it well to have faith in others to do the right thing when the times are rough,” Foxleap says, smiling at Thistlestrike with love flowing through them both. She swiftly licked his cheek before walking away, fading into the light that encompassed them.
A cat circled around him as Thistlestrike felt grass under his feet. Thistlestrike watched the small fuzzy grey cat as he stopped in front of him. “Oh Thistlestrike, with this life, I give you compassion. Use it well in being compassionate towards those who may not deserve it.”
As the cat walk away, a large cat walked through him, going straight to Thistlestrike and placing her nose against Thistlestrike’s head. “With this life, I give you adventure. You should use it to explore beyond what scares you, like what you taught my Petalpaw.”
“Haretail...” Thistlestrike began as he walked towards the youngster, but she had already began to walk away from him. “I’m sorry!”
“It wasn’t your fault,” she calls back as she disappears. Thistlestar blinks, not sure how to respond when the next cat hops forward, appearing in front of him.
“Cricketchrip,” Thistlestrike says, looking at the tall cat in front of him. “I….”
“Don’t say anything, please,” he says, “I give you happiness with this life to remind you that you are allowed your own happiness; do not always put the clan first.”
Thistlestrike places his forehead against his littermate’s. “I miss you so much,” he whispers as a tear rolls down his face.
Cricketchirp takes a step back, smiling at him sadly before being pushed into the light by the next cat. The cat, Silentsong, walked forward, placing his nose to the head of Thistlestrike. “I want you to use this life for trust. Trust in the friends that you have made; they will protect you and help you lead if you let them. Use this life to allow yourself friendships outside of leading the clan.”
As he walked away, Silentsong passed Littlebird, who brushed passed each other, sending a gust of wind through Thistlestrike. Littlebird smiled brightly as she walked over to him, holding a leap in her step. She pressed her nose to his forehead. “I am giving you this life, and confidence with it to make the decisions with confidence, not doubting yourself or the decisions that you believe are the best for the clan.”
The cat walked away from Thistlestrike , fading away with each step as the wind dies down. As all was still, Thistlestrike was faced with the one cat he was dreading having to face. Applestar was sat in the circle, facing him with a frown. “Thistlestrike, it’s time for my leadership to end. Now, it’s your turn. With this life, I give you honour. Use it well to honour the past, not allowing the clan to fall with your ideology that you thrust upon them.”
Applestar reluctantly presses her nose against his head, still frowning as she backs away. “I hail you by your new name, Thistlestar. Your old life is over. You’ve now received the nine lives of a leader, and the ancestors grants you the guardianship of Thornclan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honour your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.”
Thistlestar began to feel himself succumb to darkness as he opened his eyes, finding himself back in reality. His head throbbed as he sat up, surrounded by the members of his clan, chanting his name: “Thistlestar!”