~Prologue~

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    An eerie wind howled through the pitch black tunnel leading towards the moonstone. The pebbles vibrated beneath Leaf's paws, sending a shiver up her spine. She repeated Ravenpaw's words in her head over and over, her head dizzy with exhaustion. Her paws tingled with excitement as she caught a glimpse of the great blue light the stone gave off.

"Touch your nose to the Moonstone and close your eyes," Ravenpaw instructed her.

Ravenpaw lives on a farm with
Barley. They've lived there for a long time, longer than Leaf knew at least.

One queit night a starry cat came to Leaf in a dream and told her she had a destiny, a destiny no cat ever thought she would have - to become leader of LeafClan.

 She cast a swift glance in Lorena's direction, who was barely visible in the faint moonlight. Silence overwhelmed Leaf, taking the place of the fearful excitement that she had felt a heartbeat before. Quietly, she laid down next to her soon-to-be deputy and closed her eyes. What if it doesn't work... Leaf thought, but sooner than she knew, sleep enveloped her. Leaf opened her eyes to a beautiful, glittering blue forest.

A cat appeared and started to slowly pad towards Leaf. As she neared, Leaf could make out her markings. A blue-gray she-cat with stars slowly flowing around her nearly transparent pelt. She pushed out of the bushes and walked up to Leaf. Her beautiful blue pelt almost blending right in with the forest around them. Leaf wondered if she was really in Starclan or just in a moonlit forest.

"Welcome, Leaf! Are you ready to become leader of Leafclan?" The cat asked her, blue eyes round as moons.

"I-I guess." Leaf stammered.

"Great, I'm Bluestar, former leader of Thunderclan," the cat meowed.

"But. . . But your name isn't Thunderstar, How can you be leader?" Leaf asked.

"Oh no! There was many leaders before me!" Bluestar stifled a mrrow of laughter. "But for now it is time for your naming ceremony," Bluestar's gaze hardened. "Follow me." She turned. The old she-cat paced  gracefully through the forest keeping a swift speed for a old cat like her, paws barely touching the ground.

Leaf followed Bluestar into a starlit clearing, a huge rock towered overhead. Bluestar angled her ears towards the rock, motioning for Leaf to jump on it, Leaf jumped on the rock and nervously looked down on maybe hundreds of cats.

A huge, ginger and white tom with broad shoulders walked up and touched his nose to Leaf's head. A burning pain rushed throughout her body but the growing exitement within her numbed it.

"With this life I give you loyalty, use it well to lead your clan and help your clanmates in times of distress." the tom rasped, his voice cracked with age.

The pain stopped when he stepped away. Then, a black she-cat stepped up. She put her nose on Leaf's head. The pain wasn't as bad as the last life.

 "With this life I give you hope, Use it to lead your clan even at the worse of times. Your clanmates shall trust you with their lives and you must protect them and know your hope is there."
  She released her nose and stalked gracefully back to the where the ginger tom was sitting.

A beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat leaped softly on the rock next to Leaf and whisped her nose to Leaf's cheek. "With this life I give you love, use it for all your clanmates and for your future mate and kits." She winked and slowly padded away into the depths of cats.

Leaf felt young again, like a kit. She felt safe and secure in the cat's warm amber gaze, she remembered her mother Sandy, she was Smudge's sister. A beautiful sandy she-cat with yellow eyes like Leaf's.

Next, a towering white tom with burning yellow eyes padded up to her and touched his huge orange nose to her forehead.
"With this life I give you courage, use it as you lead your clan into battle and let courage leap from you with as much power as all of LionClan." The tom touched noses with Leaf and backed into the starry shadows.

And finally Bluestar jumped up. "With this life I give you Honesty, Use it wisely and always be honest with your medicine cat."

A small black and white apprentice came up next.  "With this life I give you Strength, Use it at the time of battle and protect your clan with it both physically and mentally," He squeaked, obviously exited to be giving a life.

Leaf shuttered as a burning pain crept up her spine followed by a chill. Dogs barking echoed through her head.  She felt strong like she could take on five foxes by herself! But the feeling drifted away as he stepped back.

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Leafstar slowly opened her eyes and cast a glance at Lorana. Her friend  was awake. She stared at Leaf tiredly "It's Leafstar now right?" she yawned, still looking at Leaf. A peircing light of dawn shone through the large hole above their heads. Leafstar lead Lorana out of the dark tunnel and towards the vast horizon ahead. Though her bones ached and pain crept through her, her nine lives were there and kept her stronger than anything.

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