I'd Be Honored, if Accepted (Mid, Open to StarClan cats!)

[Legit]

What would Midnightstar think of him? What would she think of a former rogue leading her precious Clan? Would she even allow him to receive his lives?

The usually stoic tom hesitated as he began to descend underground into the Skyfield, the sacred place where medicine cats came to share tongues with the Clans' ancestors and new leaders came to be given their nine lives. Of course, Brambletalon was no medicine cat, so he had come for the latter. The darkness loomed menacingly before him. He believed that he was more than capable of upholding his new duty as leader of MidnightClan, but an invisible force kept his paws glued to the ground. Two invisible forces, for that matter.

The first thing was just pure disbelief. Even when he had accepted Flamestar's offer of deputyship, Brambletalon had never believed he'd actually become leader. Flamestar was a young and healthy cat. She was made deputy--and then leader--at a terribly young age, and she was most likely less than half the age of Brambletalon. Just the chance that he'd somehow outlive her was highly unlikely. And the thought of killing Flamestar or staging her death didn't and never was going to cross Brambletalon's mind. Not since he'd made that promise to himself when he killed that rogue who had murdered his mother and sister. Already killed a cat, and only about the age of a new apprentice.

The second piece of uncertainty holding the tom back was StarClan itself. He was fearful that Midnightstar would deny him his lives and force him to go back home with only one: his own. He couldn't lead MidnightClan like that. He couldn't stay strong for his Clanmates knowing that greencough or a deadly blow or even old age could take his only life away. Every warrior had to deal with that knowledge, but a leader just couldn't. Leaders needed to be strong and lasting in order to protect and guide their Clans. For some leaders, such as Midnightstar, these extra lives were helpful, but for others, such as Silverstar, they were a curse to other cats. but even if Brambletalon did only have one life to lose, he'd sacrifice it in a heartbeat for the sake of MidnightClan.

Still, here he was somehow. Flamestar was gone, disappeared and maybe even dead. And Brambletalon was going to get -star on the of his name.

He pushed himself forward, not even waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Moments later, the large, sparkling crystal that one must touch noses with came into view, directly in the center of the underground field. Brambletalon stared at it in awe, but still pressed onward until he was standing next to--or rather beneath--it. He urgently needed to speak with StarClan. The tom slowly closed his eyes and pressed his nose tentatively to the rock. His body relaxed and mind melted away into StarClan's hunting grounds.

[Midnight]

DON'T POST YET UNLESS YOU ARE LEGIT. I WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE CUE TO POST AFTER.

---

"Greetings, Brambletalon," Midnightstar waved her tail as she leaped gracefully from a boulder and approached the tom, lithe body moving swiftly. Despite this, however, the feline's red eyes were darkened with an odd sort of sadness that she couldn't force away no matter how much she wanted to. Midnightstar had never been one to get emotionally attached to cats (other than her mate and family), but Flamestar was different. Flamestar had done much for her, including saving her mate at one point, and taken leadership duties when Midnightstar had grown older and weaker. When she died, the poor young cat was shoved into leadership, a decision that Midnightstar regretted only for Flamestar's sake. The Clan was in excellent paws when Flamestar led it, but as Midnightstar didn't see when she was alive, Flamestar was not ready for this advancement at her young age.

And now the she-cat, who Midnightstar thought of as a daughter, was gone. Where? Well, even she didn't know that, but she had a feeling that Flamestar may just be alive.

However, for as long as it took for Flamestar to return (if she returned), MidnightClan needed a leader, and one who was fully capable of the position; nine lives, name - the whole package.

Brambletalon was this cat, and it seemed that by age, and thus experience, he was most likely ready. Mentally? Well, Midnightstar couldn't read minds, so she wasn't sure if Brambletalon himself felt ready, but Midnightstar was confident in the tom's ability to lead her Clan.

"Before we begin, would you care to change your name?"

(There was once a Moss- something that was the first to lead WhisperClan, and the RPer realized that Mossstar would be kind of annoying to say/type, so they had it changed to Swift- in the ceremony. I've given this option ever since.)

[Legit]

"Midnightstar," Brambletalon dipped his head in respect to the she-cat as she approached him. So maybe he was going to get his lives after all. All of his previous anxieties seemed to melt away, and he slowly puffed out his chest in pride. but then he noticed the darkness in the former MidnightClan leader's eyes. What could she be feeling? The only thing he could think of that could cause such anguish to the StarClanner was Flamestar's disappearance. The tom had heard of how Flamestar saved Midnightstar's mate, and how she was made a warrior earlier than normal because of her act of bravery. He himself felt a pang of loss towards Flamestar, but it couldn't possibly even be compared to what Midnightstar must be feeling at that moment. but he forced himself to look like he wasn't phased. "No, thank you. I'd like to keep the name that my mother had given to me."

[Midnight]

At this point, 7 other cats may give Bramblestar a life (one cat per person, please) and Midnightstar will give him his final life and send him off. The cat doesn't have to have died in MidnightClan, have MidnightClan blood, etc., but it is preferred.

---

Midnightstar blinked and in replacement of the darkness was light in her eyes, a sign of happiness. MidnightClan was about to see the dawn of a new day with a new leader, and in a way, she was happy. It was always interesting to see how the different leaders handled different things. Even Silverstar was a mind that the black-furred feline wished to pick apart sometimes. What caused Silverstar to act the way she did? Of course, LeafClan was not her primary show, MidnightClan was, but that didn't mean Midnightstar didn't occasionally stroll over to the skies above LeafClan and tune in on what those cats were doing.

"In that case," Midnightstar began speaking again, "Brambletalon, I name you Bramblestar, leader of MidnightClan. I, Midnightstar, once a leader of MidnightClan myself, grant you the life of determination under the hope that you will use it to get your Clan through even the most difficult of situations." Midnighstar touched her nose to the tom's and backed away. Her job wasn't done yet, but she would have to wait for seven other cats to go before giving Bramblestar his final life and sending him off.

[Sand]

Rowanheart appeared she had died around the same time as Midnightstar her sisters were still alive and well in Midnightclan. Once Midnightstar had backed away she walked over to Brambletalon. "Greetings Brambletalon I am Rowanheart," she meowed before continuing. "With this life I give you hope even in the darkest of times it will be there. Never lose sight of hope," she meowed touching her nose to the toms before stepping back.

[CaℳI]

Ivysong silently appeared. She had been a Midnightclan cat herself during her 25 moons of life and had just died very recently in the bird fight. She didn't regret going even though she was a queen at the time. She knew her sister was taking good care of her precious Ivykit. Ivysong hadn't known Flamestar very well, all she knew was the young she-cat had most likely been ill prepared to become leader at such a early age. Ivysong didn't doubt Brammbletalon for a moment. He had been a good deputy and he would lead Midnightclan well. Ivysong spoke softly as she touched her nose to Brambletalon's "With this life I give you selflessness, may you lead your clan in a manner as if every single cat in it was your best friend, your mate, or your own kit."

[Deleted]

Poppyblaze silently stepped forward to take Ivysong's place. "Greetings, I'm Poppyblaze, former warrior of Whisperclan." She touched nose with the new leader and spoke in a clear voice. "With this life I give you love. Love your clanmates and protect them as much as you can, as if they are your own kin. You should use it well." After she finished her words and given Bramblestar his new life, she stepped backward and let another cat take her place.

[Legit]

If you don't want to read through all the processes of receiving the lives, the last paragraph is basically the run-down on what lives he's been given, how many he has left to get, etc.

---

The newly-named Bramblestar touched his nose to Midnightstar's and, almost instantly after she finished speaking, he felt a small flame ignite deep within him. The warm glow grew more acute as it traveled through his veins and bones and encompassed his whole body, from muzzle to tail tip. I feel as though I could run forever, fight on forever, just to protect-- but the fire kept growing, intensifying, until his muscles felt like they were trying to run forever, and Bramblestar thought that his pelt could burst into flames at any moment. but the only indication of the pain displayed outwardly was a slight twitch of the whiskers, and just as soon as the blaze had ignited, it was extinguished. Energy and his new life of determination flowed into his being and brought relief to the "burns" left behind. He almost felt the same as before, with no scars left behind from the experience, but was filled with a new sense of strength and resolve to protect his Clan. I don't know why I doubted myself before, Bramblestar thought as Midnightstar backed away, and Rowanheart took her place.

He recognized the she-cat since she was, after all, a MidnightClan cat, but he didn't say a word; he didn't know what. He just simply accepted Rowanheart's gesture and touched his nose to hers. Unlike the previous life, a dazzling light burst before his eyes and clouded his vision so that all he could see was white emptiness. The light quickly dimmed until there was only one bright, glittering point to focus on, like a star. Heartbeats later, that brilliant star faded out as well, and Bramblestar was forced to blink multiple times to ensure that he still had his sight. During this time, Ivysong--another former Clanmate--padded forward.

Again, Bramblestar didn't say anything to the she-cat, but he managed to let out a ragged purr when they touched noses. Ivysong was so young when she died, protecting all the Clans from the monstrous birds, and she had left behind kits and loving kin. The fact that LeafClan didn't even show up to the bird battle angered Bramblestar to no end, even if none of the leaders wanted to work with Silverstar. A few of those LeafClan mutts should have been killed instead of innocent Clanners. No, not all LeafClan cats were bad--some were just like Bramblestar's own Clanmates--but the ones like Silverstar should have been carried away by those cruel talons, not Ivysong.

A giant, invisible wave crashed down over Bramblestar, cleansing his mind and heart and unlocking his mind to the viewpoints of all his Clanmates. A queen sacrificing her life for her precious kits. Bramblestar would do that. A mentor leaping in just in time to save his apprentice from a death blow. Bramblestar would do that too. Himself taking blow after blow from a badger's claws so that Briarwing could escape unharmed. He'd do all these things and more to protect his Clan, and this life helped him to truly realize that.

Ivysong was replaced by a former WhisperClan she-cat, Poppyblaze. Bramblestar didn't feel that there was a need to speak to a cat he had barely known during her lifetime, so he just nodded to her and touched noses. A life for love was expected to be tender and gentle, such as how his mother's fur felt when he was a newborn kit. but the life itself was far from it. All Bramblestar felt was pain, roaring pain, in every possible part of his body. Underneath that pain, however, a fierce feeling of the need to protect the ones he loved bubbled up. It fueled his drive to protect and the excruciating pain, but, gradually, the pain dwindled down until only the desire to protect remained.

The last life, a life for love, was by far the most agonizing to endure (it even coaxed a wince out of the battle-scarred tom), and Bramblestar began to wonder if the remaining lives would be as bad or if he'd even get a break between them. He had been given four so far: determination, hope, selflessness, and love, so Bramblestar now had a total of five lives. If Midnightstar was to be giving him his ninth and final life, that meant the new leader still had three more unknown lives to get, by three more StarClan cats. With this knowledge now established, Bramblestar stared into the crowd of StarClan felines, wondering which one was going to next step out and give him a life.

[[Acro.]]

At the back of the crowd, a young, cream-colored tom sat with his head down. He was young only by appearance--having died at twenty-five moons, he retained his youthful form, but, in reality, he had been in StarClan for upwards of two hundred moons. He sat with his head down, appearing to not pay attention as Brambletalon, becoming Bramblestar, received his first new lives. Determination, hope, selflessness, love. Brilliant. What a way to make a the biggest bleeding heart this side of the forest.

When no new cat stepped forward, the tom sighed audibly and got to his paws, padding forward through the crowd toward Bramblestar. He passed the other StarClanners by only a whisker's length, his whiskers literally brushing against many of their flanks as he just barely managed to weave around them. As he neared the awaiting MidnightClanner, he lifted his head, revealing the fur-covered grooves where his eyes should have been. He had been born blind in life, but, in StarClan, he could see the misty makings of living cats' souls. Bramblestar was defined in the shadows by the lives he had received, their light swarming within him.

The blind StarClanner stepped toward the tom, approaching until his face was only half a tail's length away from Bramblestar's. "Duskeyes, of LeafClan," he announced, flicking his tail. His voice was soft--not worn out, but weary. It happened after so much time had passed. "With this life, Bramblestar, I give you Humility. Never forget you started the same as every other cat in this forest. You are not better than them--you are one of them. And the Clans... are greater than you." With that, the "blind" spirit resolutely pressed his nose to Bramblestar's, his inner eyes watching this new life add light to the tom's image.

[Deleted]

Misty padded to Sunsatr and mewed quietly, "I am Misty of WhisperClan. Though I am not from TalonClan, I wish to give you a life. With this life, I give you compassion. Do not deny those who are weaker than you and fair worse. Take in the outsiders and do not chase them away, for you must not forget, like me, you were born outside the clans yet took you in. You may find that these cats may be very helpful in the future. If treated with compassion," Misty mewed quietly. She knew that something bad was going to happen but to her annoyance, she really couldn't how bad it was or what it was. She was about to step back when she had one else thing to mew, "I also give you my advice, trust in Starclan," she mewed. Then, Misty stepped back.

[Deleted]

Ashsong stepped forward. "I am Ashsong of Stormclan. You will not recognize me, for I was merely an apprentice when I saw you at the gathering." She paused, begging herself not to screw up. This was the first time she hd attempted to give a life. "Whith this life I give you perseverance. Never give up, even in the most desperate situations. Ashsong stepped back and joined the others.

[Midnight]

@snowykcnomre and @stormrose, please check dates before posting. This thread is over a year old.