.A leader is born.

[Dreamstar♫]

Rabbitswirl opened her eyes and looked down upon Crystalpool with joy. "May this life guide you through the challenges that have yet to come," She meowed, her voice tinted with an ominous dread. "Do not forget this life when claws strike..."With those departing words, the she-cat got to her paws and padded back to the group, her thoughts hopeful for the new leader. The WindClan cat sat down and nodded to Wintersong, for her to go.

[Flamestar]

Wintersong padded slowly towards her old friend and stopped inches from her. "Hello Crystalpool" she meowed her voice sweet and melodic.
"My name is Wintersong. I was a warrior of Riverclan, and your friend." A smile lightned her face as she continued "With your fourth life, I give you a life of strengh and determination." Wintersong touched Crystalpool's nose with her own. "May it help you in battle and to protect your clan" She sighed and stepped back.

[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

^{An aching, longing feeling pierced the new leader's heart like dozens of tiny claws. Her old friend, Wintersong, here to guide her on her journey as a leader! "Wintersong..." she mewed, suddenly cut off from what she was going to say. A stony resolve filled Crystalpool, much more slowly than the other lives, like ivy slowly creeping up a tree. It wrapped around her, ruffling her pelt. Energy coursed through her, and the new leader itched to do everything for her Clan. As sturdy as a rock, she stood, her whole heart in her resolve. Her destiny hit her like a stone, to lead her Clan through thick and thin. The silver cat accepted the pain the new life brought, and slowly brought herself back.}

[/sup][/color]

[Lionclaw]

A flame colored pelt stepped before the she-cat. His pelt was shimmering in the lighting and he smiled at her. "Hello Crystalpool. I am Rubyheart. I was a Deputy in ThunderClan when Swiftstar had just became a warrior." He smiled, his eyes glinting with happiness. He felt pride being before such a noble deputy such as he. "With your fifth life, I give you a life of patients, along with understanding." He waked closer to her and put his muzzle upon Crystalpool's head."May you use it to jugde every cat fairly and give them chances no matter how long it may take." He lifted his muzzle off and stepped back, taking in the scent of yet another leader.

[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>Crystalpool's eyes sparkled at the deputy. Here was a cat, just like her, a deputy of ThunderClan. She was almost exactly walking his pawprints, but hers led to a different path.

At the mighty deputy's touch, the silver cat's fur sparked with electricity. The current raced to her heart, and wrapped around it, pain wrenching from her body. Her eyes were crunched in sideways "V's", her ears were flat against her head, and her large paws extended claws to dig into the clouds below her. As the pain subsided, so did her slight impatience. The need to be back at her Clan didn't disappear, yet she respected now that this must take place before she could lead her Clan.

Looking around at all of these cats, Crystalpool surveyed them with silver eyes. She wondered how many cats had been granted lives by these very cats before her. Sapphirestar, Twilightstar, Flamestar, probably three of many, and many more to come.</sup>

[/sup][/color]

[Dreamstar♫]

A white tom got to his paws and padded forward, his gaze hard but not stern. He sat down in front of Crystalpool and gave a small smile. "Hello Crystalpool," He greeted, his somewhat coarse voice now gentle. "My name is Fallenstar. I was the leader of WindClan when Flamestar was a warrior." He nodded to the deputy with encouragement as he saw her confusion. "Your going to do fine, don't worry." The past leader looked down into Crystalpool's eyes with a piercing gaze. "For your sixth life, I give you a life of responsibility and leadership." Fallenstar placed his mussel upon the deputy's head and closed his eyes. "May you use this life to lead your clan with justice, fairness, and an open mind."

[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>Crystalpool stared deep into Fallenstar's eyes. Silently, she begged the leader to share with her the knowledge that he head from being a leader. The whole task seemed so daunting ahead of her! Fear crept through her, tempting her to retreat out of the dream, resign from being a leader. Closing her eyes, Crystalpool couldn't even feel the pain through her pain.

Yet in her mind, a cat walked. It was tall, silver, and had tufts on her ears. This newcomer resembled her, yet she walked proudly, ready to lead. Every pawstep the cat took, ripples of water flew from them. The new cat stared into Crystalpool, and without hesitating, stepped into her. The cat was Crystalstar, and what she was becoming. Justice, fairness, open mindedness flooded her, giving the tools for her to shape her Clan with. The knowledge of a great leader was being bestowed on her.</sup>

[/sup][/color]

[Dreamstar♫]

Fallenstar drew his head back and nodded silently. "May you use it not only to lead your clan, but to look beyond it as well," He meowed, getting to his paws once more. The leader gave one last smile to Crystalpool as he looked down at her. "It comforts me to know Riverclan is in good paws," He meowed greatfully. The leader nodded once more before padding back to the rest of the group.


A orange apprentice got to her paws and padded forward, her green eyes all to familiar to the RiverClan deputy. She sat down in front of Crystalpool and smiled greatfully. "Thank you.." She mewed, looking up at the she-cat. The small apprentice's gaze turned to the figure standing on the ledge of the Moonpool and lingered there for a secong before turning back. "My name is Creampaw...I was an apprentice of RiverClan along with you." She smiled greatfully once more before speaking again. "For your seventh life, I give you a life of friendship." The apprentice placed her mussel upon Crystalpool's head and closed her eyes. "May you use it to hold your friends close and to help them see their true importance."

[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>Memories flowed through Crystalpool as forceful as the river. As Crystalpaw, she remembered running through the forest at top speed alongside Creampaw, their first of many adventures into ThunderClan's territory. One of which had ended horribly for everyone. Moved beyond words that her old friend was here to grant her seventh life of friendship, Crystalpool's eyes began to water. "Creampaw, I've missed you so much." She mewed, depressed. "Return to RiverClan with me, I'm begging you!" the strong deputy let down her shield to let the storm of emotion course through.

As the pain from the life flowed through her bones, she found herself looking into Creampaw's green eyes. All around her, sparkles of light flowed into the two old friends. Looking inside the orange apprentice, Crystalpool saw the memories, all of them, the good and the bad. Like the river, they were always there for each other. The silver cat saw the time where the two first met, where Crystalpaw's tail got caught in a trap, where the two apprentices nearly drowned, where they first met. Light flowed through them, and into Crystalpool again. The pain of loss was even greater than the pain of the life. But inside those eyes, Crystalpool saw Cherrysky, her old friend, and all the other friends she had made. Their energy flowed into her, and Crystalpool, still aching from grief, knew that they'd always be there for her.

Tears fell from her silver eyes, creating pools of loss. Even after the life was done, the brave cat knew that her life would never be the same. Not just in the way that she would be a leader, but her relationships had changed with everyone, but with the cats who had come and passed. Silently, she began to doubt herself, a black void growing inside her, threatening to consume her entirely. I'm not ready to be a Leader! I can't lead my Clan! Loss comes as painful as a thousand claws on your belly, how can I live through leading my Clan into loss?</sup>

[/sup][/color]

[Dreamstar♫]

Creampaw drew her head away, sensing the deputy's doubt. "May this life not only grant you long friendships, but courage as well," She meowed, a joyful smile creeping to her face. The apprentice looked over to the cat standing on the Moonpool edge once more and turned back to Crystalpool. "And may you watch over my sister when I could not..." She looked up at Crystalpool with hopeful eyes. "You were always a leader in my eyes...and don't worry, you will see me again." The apprentice padded back to the rest of the group and sat down, curling her tail over her paws.


Duskfeather, who had been sitting with a proud, hopeful look on her face, stood up and padded forward, her blue eyes joyful to be giving the deputy one of the last lives she would recieve. "You will see many of us again," She meowed, sitting down in front of Crystalpool. "Nor will you be without guidence." The medicine cat looked down to the deputy and smiled. "With your eight life, I give you a life of wisdom." Duskfeather placed her mussle upon Crystalpool's head and closed her eyes. "May you use it to teach your clan, make wise decisions, and guide them through their lives with trust and hope."


[OHHH didn't see the whole Creampaw=Cherry's sister did ya?! lol I had to make a twist somewhere ^^]

[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>((LE GASPETH!!! ))

Crystalpool blinked in assent, tears threatening to spill over her large silver eyes. ""I promise I will, Creampaw." As she completed her oath, she briefly touched her old friend's shoulder with her tail, and sparks flew. Sparks of love.

Now, she turned her head to Duskfeather. The blue-eyed cat seemed eager to give the young leader a life, yet Crystalpool could not place her. Who are you? she thought, as the starry cat came forward.

The next words gave her strength. She would never be without StarClan, how could she have ever thought she wouldn't be? Those she had lost would be in her heart forever. And they would guide her as every current of the river, they would live in the breeze, they would be a part of the grass.

Her life came to her, ebbing in a low throbbing. She was acutely aware of a large circle, five main points surrounding. The sky could not live without the sea, who can't live without the ground, and light cannot live without darkness. ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, StarClan, and ShadowClan. Without even one Clan, the whole balance would fall to pieces. Every blade of grass, every fish in the river served a purpose. How could I have never noticed this before? She thought. It all made sense!</sup>

[/sup][/color]

[Dreamstar♫]

[*debates on whether or not to make a Creampaw account*]

Duskfeather drew her head back and smiled. "May this life, along with your quick thinking, lead your clan to great victories and help you in times of crisis." The medicine cat looked into the deputy's grey eyes and nodded. "We will always be here to guide you," She meowed, trying to calm Crystalpool's doubt. "However, we cannot do the task for you. That much you must manage on your own." She stood and touched noses with the she-cat. "But we have faith in you, young one. Your cunning and gental heart will pull through." Duskfeather padded back to Dreamstar and sat down, a smile curled on her face.


After her long wait, Dreamstar got to her paws and padded forward. "You will never be without guidence," She meowed, sitting down in front of Crystalpool. "Whether it is from StarClan or those you hold dear." The leader looked deep into the deputy's eyes with a sense of seriousness. "Never forget guidence or help when offered, no matter who it's from." Her blue eye's sparked with an ominous glow. "You will need to remember this in times to come." Dreamstar drew herself up and gave a relaxed, hopeful smile. "For your ninth and final life, I give you a life of love." The leader placed her mussle upon Crystalpool's head and closed her eyes. "May this life grant you a heart as gental and fierce as a queen's."

[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>Tears pricked at the deputy's eyes once more, and one escaped, and began it's trek down her cheek. Yet these were tears of relief, of joy. The action was speaking stronger than words ever could. But Crystalpool had to try.

But first came the life. Both as fierce as a fire and calm as air at once, the turmoil threw the young cat around herself, thrusting her into a vision. She was at RiverRock, back at home, in her Clan. She stood, facing the oncomers, with both peace of mind and anxiety to battle. Her strength, as the leader, coursed through the veins of the cats of RiverClan. The wind swept the Clan's fur to the right side, the cats acting as one. Crystalpool was acutely aware of each and every cat down there, her Clan, yet they were one. They were RiverClan, ready to face anything!

Coming back, Crystalpool stared at all nine of the cats in front of her. Each cat, with or without knowing it, had affected her life in some way, and now was here to guide her on her life's path. "Everyone, thank you. I will not let you down." she mewed, choking slightly on her salty tears. Her heart grew strong, and yet she was touched deeply, knowing she would never forget this night as long as she lived, through all nine of her lives.</sup>

[/sup][/color]

[Dreamstar♫]

Dremstar smiled and nodded to the leader. "This path is filled with many challenges," She warned. "But your strong will and heart will pull you through." The leader stood and turned back to the group of cats, meeting they're starry eyes. "I, Dreamstar, member of StarClan, stand before a leader in the making." She turned back to Crystalpool with proud eyes. "From this moment on you will be known as Crystalstar, leader of RiverClan. Take this name with pride and courage to lead your clan farther than it has ever known."

The group of Starclan cats began to chant the new leaders name. "Crystalstar! Crystalstar Crystalstar!" Creampaw bounced with the same enthusiastic joy she had when she was an apprentice. "Crystalstar!!," She meowed, louder than the rest of the cats. A huge grin planted on her face.

[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

^{Crystalstar's large silver eyes sparkled almost as much as the noble warriors of StarClan's'. Respectfully, the small cat licked the grey leader's shoulder, blinking into her aqua blue eyes. Smiling, she turned around and saw all of the cats rooting for her, especially Creampaw. "Thank you all" she moved, incapable of mewing anything else. She no longer was an individual cat. She no longer stood alone as Crystalpool. No longer were the burdens of responsibility pinned on someone else's shoulders. Now, she was Crystalstar, the blood of RiverClan, the river in the mighty five.}

[/sup][/color]