Powers of the Clans

[Snakestar]

Snakestar padded slowly into the dark Star Cave and sat down to wait. His strange dream, telling him to come here and wait for the other leaders and the power, had most certainly been sent by StarClan. He twitched slightly as he remembered the words of the dream:

Come to Star Cave, await the power,
With the other leaders, of the final hour.
LedgeClan, graceful birds in flight,
TangleClan, none standing before their might.
FireClan, no cat's breath burns hotter,
CreekClan, they breathe underwater.
Four clans, fight now as brothers,
Against the Night, which you shall smother.

[eagleflight]

Eaglestar padded in after Snakestar, halting as she smelled the scent of an enemy Clan. Carefully peeking in, she saw Snakestar. "Snakestar?" she mewed. "Oh good. I thought I might be the only one." She sat beside him and waited for the other Clan leaders. The prophecy was shady about TangleClan. She contemplated it as she waited.

[Willowstar]

Willowstar finally arrived at the cave and stepped silently into the entrance. "Greetings, Snakestar, Eaglestar." the leader dipped her head in respect for the others. "How do you fare?"

[Ebonystar]

Maybe she had come here seeking assurance - that was the best option that Ebonystar could pick out of those reeling about in her head, as she padded deeper and deeper into the Star Cave. Assurance that she wasn't crazy for having this dream, that StarClan hadn't abandoned them with nothing more than a false prophecy. She didn't really believe that, but at this point, it seemed that nothing could give them hope against NightClan; this was the only way.

Scenting the air tentatively, Ebonystar could clearly make out the mingled tang of the three other Clans. A rush of relief went through her, and she sped up to a quick trot until she reached the innermost cavern. She wasn't here alone - and StarClan was with them all, she knew for certain now.

"Snakestar? Eaglestar? Willowstar?" She was sure that these were their scents, but she wanted someone to reply, just the same. The question was more of a compiled greeting to all of the others than its tone suggested, but all in all, Ebonystar was just glad to see them here, together. "I assume you received the dream, as well?"

She tried not to sound nervous, but a tinge of anxiety edged her voice, anyway; if StarClan did not mean to aid them now, how on earth would they ever defeat NightClan? Shaking her head swiftly, the LedgeClan leader shoved that thought away - their warrior ancestors would always be there for them, through thick and thin.

They could always depend on StarClan.

[Willowstar]

Willowstar's voice echoed through the cavern. "We're here, Ebonystar." The time was getting nearer to speak with StarClan and Willowstar admitted to herself that she was in fact nervous. This one meeting could determine the fate of the clans. By now, Willowstar had sorted out most of her dream, but still it seemed quite complex. Were the clan cats going to receive certain powers? If so, how?

[Snakestar]

Snakestar rose to his paws. "Let us sleep on the Starrock, and see what StarClan have to show us." But as he finished speaking, a voice pierced the air.

"No. StarClan shall send you the powers while awake. Since LedgeClan was first mentioned by the prophecy, they shall be the first to recieve the new powers. Ebonystar, please step onto the Starrock." The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

[Willowstar]

Willowstar watched with curiousity as the leader was called to the shining rock.

[Ebonystar]

Ebonystar was not only surprised, but honored and rather anxious at the same time that she was called by the mysterious voice to step onto the shining stone. She couldn't even say for certain where it was coming from, that voice - it was like it reverberated throughout the cavern, hundreds of voices merged into a single train of speech.

Glancing at her fellow leaders, and trying not to show how nervous she was, the LedgeClan leader stepped forward, placing first one paw on the Starrock, then another. She felt a shiver run down her spine, and took a deep breath before moving forward again. The surface of the stone was cool, but not unpleasantly so; she inwardly thanked StarClan that she didn't have to deal with that kind of cold and fear at the same time.

Shifting her weight from one paw to another, Ebonystar squared her shoulders. What reason was there to be afraid? She was in the presence of her warrior ancestors, and the leaders of all the other Clans. She couldn't really remember a time she had been more safe in her life, unless she counted her first few days spent by her mother's side. Nothing here could possibly hurt her; she was ready for this, and if receiving this "gift" that StarClan kept alluding to was what it took to save the whole forest, she was quite willing to do it.

"I'm ready," she said softly but firmly, keeping her bright eyes open instead of the usual method of communicating with their ancestors, as per the voice's instructions.

[Snakestar]

The voice quietly said, "Let the power of air be transferred." There was a pause as long, pure black wings grew from the leader's shoulders and sides, slowly at first, but then quicker. They stopped at two tail-lengths. Ravens' wings. The voice then said to all four leaders, "This power will be given to all LedgeClan cats of six moons and over. The power of air will leave them when the last NightClanner loses his- or her- last life. Now, Ebonystar, step down from the stone and let Eaglestar join me here."

[Ebonystar]

Surprisingly, even as she stared at the wings which had sprouted out of her flanks as though they were naturally supposed to be there, Ebonystar could not feel any pain at the process. What she felt, much more strongly, was a sense of shock that StarClan's gift could be something of such magnitude. Certainly, this would change things, until -- as the voice said -- NightClan was driven from the forest once and for all.

Tearing her eyes away from the pure black ravens' wings, Ebonystar blinked a few times, before nodding and stepping down off of the Starrock. It was astonishing how naturally the wings moved with her - they were connected to her, it was only reasonable, she had to tell herself. But it was still astounding that, like a bird, she had these luminous, feathery wings.

Without a doubt, this could take quite a bit of getting used to.

The LedgeClan leader took her place beside the others, and glanced at Eaglestar, who the voice had chosen to receive the gift next. She wondered, for an instant, what the prophecy had meant when it mentioned TangleClan's might; what power would her fellow leader be granted?

[eagleflight]

Eaglestar swallowed nervously, though she was so excited, she was slightly trembling. She padded forward with all the grace and dignity of her Clan, her white head shining in the gloom. As she stepped forward to stand on the stone, sighing as she felt its coolness. It was chilling, yet somehow relaxing for the TangleClan leader.

She drew herself to full height and said firmly and with conviction, "I am ready." She waited somewhat anxiously for StarClan to give her the "gift".

[Snakestar]

The voice quietly said, "Let the power of earth be transferred." There was a pause as Eaglestar appeared to become larger and more muscular. The leader's claws' turned black, changing from claws to huge hooks filled with deadly poison. The voice then said to all four leaders, "This power will be given to all TangleClan cats of six moons and over. The power of earth will leave them when the last NightClanner loses his- or her- last life. Now, Eaglestar, step down from the stone and let Willowstar join me here."

[Willowstar]

Willowstar looked in awe at the two transformed leaders. In a deep curiosity, she now began to worry about her own transformation. Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, Willowstar then proceded to the stone. With a strong voice, the leader spoke, "I am ready."

[Snakestar]

The voice quietly said, "Let the power of fire be transferred." There was a pause as Willowstar's eyes turned a firey orange and began to glow. The tip of every hair on her pelt began to spark. The voice spoke again, quietly, just to Willowstar. "Hiss, and fire shall shoot from your mouth and nostrils like the Twolegs' dragons of legends." The voice then said to all four leaders, "This power will be given to all FireClan cats of six moons and over. The power of earth will leave them when the last NightClanner loses his- or her- last life. Now, Willowstar, step down from the stone and let Snakestar join me here."

Snakestar stepped up to the stone at last, filled with happiness at being able to finally kill the evil NightClanners. "I am ready."

The voice quietly said, "Let the power of water be transferred." There was a pause as Snakestar's paws became longer and wider, webbed. His tail flattened, becoming like an otter's. The fur on the sides of his neck vanished, revealing rubbery skin not unlike a dolphin's and... gills! The voice then said to all four leaders, "This power will be given to all CreekClan cats of six moons and over. The power of water will leave them when the last NightClanner loses his- or her- last life. Now, all the powers have been transferred and I may tell you where the NightClanners' camp is. You may find it in the Wastelands, to the north of LedgeClan territory. Now go, wipe them out!" The strange voice faded away, and vanished. Wasting no time, Snakestar raced towards his camp, meaning to gather all his cats except for the kits and one queen. The tom vanished into the forest.

[Willowstar]

Willowstar bounded away towards her camp. It was time that the NightClanners tasted their own blood.