Divided Loyalties

Mudstar's Nine Lives

Mudclaw walked through the moor, Barkface right behind him. A storm was brewing.

"Let's hurry before it rains!" Mudclaw snapped. "I want my nine lives!"

But is the storm a sign? Barkface was really worried. Did StarClan not approve?

"Do you think the storm is a sign?" Barkface asked the former deputy. Mudclaw faced him and bared his teeth.

"Why would you think that?" Mudclaw growled. "Do you not want me to be leader?!"

"That's not what I'm saying!" Barkface replied. "What-"

But Barkface felt something land on his nose. Blood?

Barkface gasped as more blood fell down from the skies. He saw many dead cats before him. Then he saw a orange she-cat with black fur on her head facing Mudclaw, no, Mudstar, in battle. The she-cat leaped at Mudstar.

"NO!"

"What?" Mudclaw asked in confusion, "What are you screaming about, I didn't know you hated water that much!"

Barkface blinked, it was raining water, not blood. He looked to see no dead bodies in front of him.

StarClan sent me TWO signs!

Barkface couldn't stand up to the huge brown tom. So he looked down as they walked to the Moonstone.

Mudclaw touched the Moonstone with the tip of his nose.

Letting Mudclaw lead is probably the biggest mistake of my life, we're all going to be dead because of my cowardice!

Suddenly, Mudclaw and Barkface were in StarClan grounds.

They're still going to let him be leader?!

"Welcome, Mudclaw."

"Father?" Mudclaw meowed as Shrewclaw approached him, along with eight other cats.

"The first life is mine to give." Shrewclaw purred. "I give you a life for dedication, to always put the Clan first, even in the hardest of your decisions."

Shrewclaw pressed his nose against his son's, and Mudclaw saw the vision of warriors hunting, bringing back fresh-kill to other warriors.

Then another warrior appeared.

"I am Acorntail." the tom meowed. "I give you a life for making the best of decisions when you are struggling."

Their noses touched, and Mudclaw saw the vision of leaders in the past, talking to their deputies and elder warriors on what to do.

A grey she-cat appeared.

"I am Wolfheart, I give you a life for compassion to kits of all clans." Wolfheart purred. Their noses touched, and Mudclaw saw Nurseries from all the Clans, with helpless kits suckling milk from their mothers. Mudclaw rolled his eyes.

I'll give compassion if I want to or not!

"Mudclaw?" Mudclaw gasped, it was the second leader of Windclan ever! And he was going to give a life to him!

Gorsestar came up to Mudclaw. "I give you a life for patience, to always wait, and know you'll be rewarded in the end."

Mudclaw winced as he saw images of apprentices failing assessments, warriors breaking the code.

Not while I'M leader!

Then a fluffy brown tom appeared. Mudclaw instantly recognized him and unsheathed his claws.

"Reedfeather." Mudclaw snarled. "You don't deserve to give a life to me!"

"Be grateful you're leader!" Reedfeather snarled back. "I died and Tallstar beat me to it!"

"Cause StarClan knew you didn't deserve it!" Mudclaw retorted. "You betrayed WindClan, I hate you!"

Reedfeather ignored him and touched his nose briefly. "I give you a life for not thinking about only your Clan, but thinking about other cats too."

Mudclaw snarled at the vision of Reedfeather and Fallowtail walking across the moor, their tails entwining.

"I'll never be like you!" Mudclaw growled. "Now get away from me!"

"I give you a life for a sense of adventure." a pretty white she-cat named Mothflight purred, "Always feel able to take a step forward."

Mudclaw visioned himself, running on patrols and discovering new things.

A white and orange she-cat appeared. But she wasn't of WindClan.

"Another cat that doesn't deserve to give me a life!" Mudclaw muttered.

"I'll give you one if I want to!" the she-cat hissed. "I am Reena, I knew your father and Talltail."

"Tallstar." Mudclaw corrected her with a snarl.

"I give you a life for undying love for your cats." Reena purred.

Mudclaw winced at the thought of love. He visioned cats sharing tongues and purring.

Gross!

Another cat appeared, a gray furry tom limped over.

"Another-"

"SHUT UP!" the tom yowled. "You need to respect one of the cats that formed Windclan itself!"

"Jagged Peak?" Mudclaw gasped.

"That's right!" Jagged Peak smirked. "I give you a life for respect to your elders. Always know that they know more then you!"

As if!

Mudclaw ignored the vision of elder warriors and looked at the huge gray tom that was going to give him his last life.

"You are about to be leader!" the gray tom, Gray Wing, said.

"Yea..." Mudclaw drifted off. "Where's my ninth life?"

"Be patient! Didn't Gorsestar just give you a life for that?!" Gray Wing snapped. "That reminds me of that day I first met Wind and Gorse..."

"Give me my life already!" Mudclaw snarled, baring his teeth.

"Shut up!" Gray Wing snarled. "I give you a life for always remembering, for memories always stay in our hearts and we learn from our mistakes and carry on!"

Mudclaw was overwhelmed by the memories of Gray Wing with a bunch of other cats as they went down the mountain, then he saw the Great Battle, Gray Wing leaped at his own brother, Clear Sky, in battle. Then he saw every WindClan leader on the Highrock.

All nine cats backed away, their gazes were all clouded with fear.

They fear me!

"Mudstar! Mudstar!" they all chanted. Barkface looked at them with horror, appalled.

How could they let this happen?! We're all screwed!

"Thank you" Mudstar purred. "WindClan will be feared! We will have revenge on all the clans for wronging us! WINDCLAN WILL SURVIVE!"

Suddenly, both Barkface and Mudstar woke up below the Moonstone.

"Do you know who you will make deputy?" Barkface asked.

"Hmm..." Mudstar pondered as they continued. "I think it'll be...Stagleap. He's very experienced, and he's my uncle, after all!"

Barkface nodded. Maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt...