Chapter Text
Sun shone brightly overhead, casting golden rays over the grassy hills. It was nearly sun-high, though the star’s exact position was obscured by a few clouds. A faint breeze rustled the landscape, bringing a strong feeling of peace.
A tom sat on top of the hill, gazing out at the territory below him. Trees rose from the lush ground, growing thickest beside a hollow. The noises of the bustling life beneath the hill did not reach his ears, but he could picture it very well.
There would be two kits rushing about the camp as their exasperated parents urged them to sit down, offering for them to instead go ask the elders for a story. Said elders would then tell some borderline traumatic tales that the kits would eat up.
Such was the joy of his clan.
He took a deep breath, the scent of thyme and lavender washing over him. It was a calm day. The clans hadn't had a single war over the course of his life. Most cats in his clan hadn't. Battles, sure, but never the large scale, soul-shattering disasters that raged in the stories of elders.
Many, many moons had passed since the war with the Dark Forest. The clans had all but forgotten the heroes who saved them all.
But RubyClan remained.
The clans had changed, expanding the territory of the lakes, a new clan now residing there. They may not know what they were named after, but the simple act still carried the legacy of the fallen.
The tale of how the clan was named always brought great wonder upon kits and warriors alike. When their clan founder had gone to receive nine lives, Grey Wing of the ancient clans had told her to name the clan RubyClan, to honor fallen heroes. He'd never said who they were, leaving the descendents to forever ponder who he was referring to.
The tom raised his head, peering up at one cloud that looked particularly like a cat. Looking closer, he saw there were many cats, if he imagined hard enough. It looked almost like a battle. He could picture cats with stars in their fur fighting beside the living, just like the Great Battle he had been told so much about. And he couldn’t help but wonder, as he often did, if any Dark Forest cats joined the fray on the right side.
Even if every cat in that forest was evil, surely at least one of them made the right choice. You could be evil while still choosing the correct option once and a while.
He was drawn from his musings when a cat scaled the hill, landing gracefully beside him. He had called his mate’s name three times already to no avail.
“Snaketail!” He exclaimed in exasperation.
The small grey tabby swiveled his ears in his direction. “Yeah, Clearsky, what’s up?”
“What in the stars’ names are you doing?”
“Thinking.” Snaketail answered simply.
“Oh, that’s all well and good, but come on!” He turned and dashed down the hill without waiting to see if his beloved had followed. He stopped in his tracks when he realized he was alone.
He turned sharply, head tilted to the side. “Snaketail?” A prickle of worry made its way into his voice.
His golden eyes were narrowed in thought. “Clearsky. . . Do you think. . . Do you think cats go into different lives when they die?”
His mate tipped his fluffy grey and white head. “What? Like, reincarnation? That thing Mistyglide’s always talking about?”
He nodded. “Yeah. That.”
“Why do you ask?” He scrambled back up the hill, pressing his fur into Snaketail’s light grey tabby pelt.
“Because. . . It’s just interesting to think about. That maybe StarClan isn’t the end.”
Clearsky shrugged. “Well, there are other afterlifes. So anything’s possible.”
Snaketail nodded slowly, Clearsky nudged him. “Come on, it’s almost sun-high. You’re going to miss the ceremony.”
The small tom perked up. “Oh!” He exclaimed. “I almost forgot!” He raced off back to camp, his mate bounding after him.
The two ran side by side, their fur brushing. Snaketail was occasionally slowed by the perpetual cough he’d been cursed by since he was young. Clearsky would slow and wait for him to catch up.
They stumbled into the clearing, tripping over themselves and each other. They were laughing loudly, attracting the attention of their clanmates, unbeknownst to them.
A grey tom with a few white spots rolled his eyes. “Tch. Young love.” He grumbled.
The white tom with blue eyes at his side shot him a look. “Splintertuft, you and Beetlewing are only a few moons older than them.”
“I said what I said, Snowtuft.”
His littermate snorted. “You always have been a hypocrite.”
“They act like apprentices.” The grey tom grumbled.
“They graduated six moons ago, you know.”
Snaketail finally untangled himself from Clearsky, steadying himself before taking a step forward. “When’s the ceremony actually starting?” He called to Mistyglide, who had been sunning herself beside Beetlewing.
The grey she-cat opened one green eye, a disgruntled expression on her face. “After Hawkleap’s patrol gets back!” She answered.
Snaketail bounced happily. “Yes! I have time!” He dashed over to the nursery.
He slipped inside, forcing himself to be quiet. He was immediately rushed by three bundles of fur. The smallest and feisiest one, black and ginger with small hazel eyes, grabbed onto his front leg. “Snaketail!” She snarled. “Where have you been?! We missed you!”
“I was out, Puddlekit. I can’t stay in the camp all the time.”
“Well, then why can’t we leave?!” Demanded Puddlekit’s sister, only a little larger than her littermate with a calico pelt and green eyes.
“Because, Tulipkit, you aren’t six moons old yet.”
“But four is only two less than six.” Argued the largest kit, a shy brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
“It is, Treekit, but those are the clan rules.”
The kits all groaned with displeasure and rushed back to their mother, who was laying in the shade of the nursery, her golden tabby pelt seeming to glow. She watched her brother and kits fondly, whiskers twitching in amusement.
Snaketail met her gaze, tail flicking back and forth. “Cosmicflower, can you please teach your horde not to jump me?”
She blinked her bright green eyes innocently. “But I thought you loved my kits.”
Snaketail flattened his ears. “Not the poin- Puddlekit! Quit chewing on my tail!” she had run back over.
“But it’s tasty!” She protested, dashing back to her mother once again and hiding behind her.
Snaketail sighed. He loved the kits, really he did. Ever since his sister and her mate had found them the previous leaf-bare. But they could be quite the pawful!
He heard an amused snort and turned. Quickwater was watching the scene from her nest, her two kits nowhere in sight.
“Where are Tallkit and Sunkit?” Snaketail asked.
Quickwater scoffed. “Where do you think? Those kits haven’t sat still since they worked out how ages worked.”
“Fair enough, I suppose.” Snaketail mewed with a shrug.
Quickwater rolled onto her side, stretching her legs out. “I would figure you’d remember what you and your sister were like as kits. You drove poor Frecklewish up the wall with all the noise you made!”
“Eh. . . Beesting helped.”
“Beesting was worse!” Quickwater exclaimed. “She couldn’t go one night without wailing for some reason or another! Neither could her brother, for that matter! Your mate was the worst kit I've ever met. Honestly! You couldn't look away from him for a second without him escaping!”
Cosmicflower sat up, not even bothering to shake off Tulipkit who was clinging to her back. “You’re reminiscing like an elder already, are you planning on retiring soon?” She asked, a gleam of mischief in her eyes.
Quickwater narrowed her eyes. “I’ll retire when I join StarClan, thank you very much. Your father and I made a pact.”
“To not retire?” Treekit asked curiously, head poking up from behind his mother’s flank.
Quickwater nodded. “Exactly.”
“You might not feel that way when your paws give out from under you.” Snaketail teased.
“I’ll worry about that when I get there.” She answered with a huff. She wasn’t even really that old, all things considered. She’d lived through seven leaf-bares, most elders lived through at least ten before relinquishing their status as a warrior.
Snaketail’s ears pricked as he heard Splintertuft shout. “The patrol’s back!”
Snaketail darted into the clearing, quickly sitting down beside Clearsky. The meeting hadn’t even been called yet, but they’d already claimed their spots.
Hawkleap’s patrol was laden with prey. The yellow tabby tom in the lead carried his namesake in his jaws, tail raised proudly. Ever since an unfortunate scuffle with one of the creatures in his youth had taken his eye, he had made it his life’s goal to catch as many as he possibly could. Behind him was the tortoiseshell tom Ripplerush, carrying what seemed to be an entire family lineage of frogs. Swallowdive was beside him, carrying a selection of forest prey, her nose wrinkled. It was no secret that she detested any and all creatures common in marshes.
Snaketail laughed at her misery and earned himself a glare. Swallowdive quickly deposited her catch and bounded across the clearing to her mate's side. Beesting greeted her with a nuzzle, then stood up and joined Snaketail and Clearsky.
“I will never get the stink of frog out of my nose!” Swallowdive complained, vigorously running a front paw down her muzzle. It was funny how much she hated frog, considering it was a favorite of her mother, Mistyglide.
Beesting purred with amusement. “Sometimes I think Ripplerush was born to be a ShadowClan cat.”
“Born to be a pain in my tail, more like!” The ginger she-cat retorted.
“Prey is prey.” Snaketail pointed out.
“Yeah, but it’s not like it’s the middle of leaf-bare and we have none!”
Clearsky rolled his eyes. “If Ripplerush wants to be disgusting and eat frogs, let him. Besides, Lilyblossom eats them too.”
“Still.” Swallowdive grumbled.
“You just like her more, so you don’t say anything.” Clearsky said with a lash of his tail.
“As though you don’t play favorites?!” She exclaimed. “I distinctly remember you letting Snaketail call you a mouse-brain to your face and you just shrugged!”
He repeated the action in the present. “Snaketail is just better than all of you.”
“Playing favorites!” she insisted.
Their squabbling was cut short when their leader called the clan meeting. “Cats of RubyClan!” Fireflystar shouted, bright yellow eyes gleaming with pride. “Today, I have gathered you here to perform one of the most important duties of a clan!” She announced.
The clan deputy, Petalflutter, sat at the foot of the meeting rock, her plumy tail wrapped neatly over her paws. Her eyes drifted to the nursery as Cosmicflower slipped out, their three kits tumbling at the golden tabby’s paws. Puddlekit streaked over to Petalflutter, sitting down at her paws. “You know you’re not supposed to be here, right?” Her mom asked.
Puddlekit fluffed out her pelt. “Rules are made to be. . . Eaten!”
“Not how the saying goes.”
“You don’t know that!”
Petalflutter rolled her eyes. “Well, if you’re going to sit here, be quiet.”
Puddlekit clamped her tiny fangs down on her tongue, then squeaked when that didn’t go very well for her.
The older litter of kits was sitting eagerly in front of the rock. Ripplerush was vigorously grooming their fur. Sunkit was complaining all the way, and Ripplerush shushed her. “My kits will not look uncivilized before the entire clan!” He scolded.
Quickwater sat down beside him, nudging him lightly. “Oh, give them a break, it’s not every day they get to become apprentices.”
“Which is exactly why they should look good!” Ripplerush insisted. “Tallkit, you have leaves in your fur!”
Tallkit fluffed out his black-and-white pelt. “Of course I have leaves!” He protested. “I’m going to be a medicine cat!”
Fireflystar continued, “Sunkit, please step forward.”
The sleek ginger-and-white splotched she-cat bolted forward, skidding to a halt in front of the rock and almost tripping over her own paws.
“From this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Beetlewing.”
The black tom slipped out of the crowd, his tail was held high as he bent down to touch noses with his apprentice.
Fireflystar waited a second before she went on. “Beetlewing, you had a good mentor in Mistyglide, and I hope you will pass your battle prowess and speaking ability onto this apprentice.”
“I will, Fireflystar, I promise.” He dipped his head earnestly, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Splintertuft was gazing at his mate, eyes full of pride and smugness. He had bet Clearsky a lot of catmint that Beetlewing would end up as Sunpaw’s mentor. Clearsky was now grumbling about his losses as the ceremony continued.
Tallkit was shifting from paw to paw, amber eyes glinting nervously. “Tallkit, please step forward.” His mother had to nudge him encouragingly. Tallkit was usually so confident and sure of himself. It was rare to see the kit looking so anxious. “From this day forward, until you have earned your full name, you will be known as Tallpaw.” There was a pause. “Tallpaw, I have been told that you’ve shown a great interest in herbs and healing your clanmates. Is it truly your wish to walk the path of a medicine cat?”
Tallpaw nodded eagerly.
“Then your mentor shall be Emberspit.”
The quiet medicine cat moved silently through the crowd, stopping beside Tallpaw and pressing his nose to the young cat. His mate, Lilyblossom, limped to his side, her eyes shining proudly.
“Emberspit, you faced many challenges during your own apprenticeship. Your mentor Pumpkinpatch died before your training got very far and you had to be helped by Hawkleap.” The yellow tom only flicked an ear in acknowledgement. “However, you prevailed despite all the challenges. I hope that you can pass this resilience onto your apprentice.”
Emberspit dipped his head. “Thank you, Fireflystar, I will.”
“Sunpaw! Tallpaw! Sunpaw! Tallpaw!”
As the meeting broke up, Moonslash slipped over to Lilyblossom and Emberspit. “I bet you two are excited. Now that we have a medicine cat apprentice, you’ll be able to have kits.”
“Oh, don’t rush them!” Frecklewish scolded, cuffing her former apprentice’s ears lightly. “They’ll have kits when they’re ready! I would think you’d know how difficult they were! Rabbitpaw isn’t exactly easy.” The white and black she-cat in question pricked her ears, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation before her mentor, Petalflutter, called her away for training.
Moonslash’s fur ruffled. “But they’ve wanted them for moons! I was just asking!”
“Shoo! Begone with you!” Frecklewish snapped, words lacking any real bite.
Moonslash just rolled his eye and scampered back to his mate, Fireflystar.
Lilyblossom chuckled. “He is right, you know, Frecklewish.”
She swished her tail. “Not the point. I hated being pressured to have my kits. I won’t say me and Hawkleap waited longer out of spite, but I won’t deny that either.”
Snaketail bounded over to her. “Well, it’s a good thing you did wait, Ma! Otherwise you wouldn’t have had me or Cosmicflower.”
Frecklewish lapped her son’s ears affectionately. “That’s true. I couldn’t imagine life without you.”
“Though your little mate could be done without.” Hawkleap said, trotting over.
Clearsky shot him a glare. “The audacity!” He exclaimed, only partially joking.
Hawkleap whisked his tail over his shoulders. “I dislike you greatly, Clearsky.”
“I’ve never done anything to you!”
“I disagree.”
He lashed his tail. “Whatever. Come on, Snaketail, we’re going hunting.”
He blinked at him in confusion. “We are?”
“Of course!” He exclaimed, darting away.
“Stop trying to avoid me!” Hawkleap scoffed, immensely amused.
“You’re not my mentor anymore! I don’t have to listen to you!” Clearsky called back, not at all caring about how petulant he sounded.
Snaketail dashed after him, excitement fizzling beneath his pelt. He caught up quickly, keeping pace with him after a moment. Snaketail’s mind buzzed with the semblance of a memory. Ever since he had still been a ‘paw, running with Clearsky brought up an echo of remembrance that he couldn’t quite grasp.
It had first happened on an apprentice assessment. Cosmicpaw was stuck in camp with a sprained paw, so it had just been Snakepaw and Clearpaw.
“Race you to the beech copse!” Clearpaw had called, disappearing in a flash. Snakepaw was hard on his paws, just barely managing to catch up, and when he did he sent them tumbling over each other. They fell into the grass, laughing hysterically.
That was the first moment when Snaketail knew he wanted to be with Clearsky for the rest of his life.
The pair of mates skidded to a halt, flopping down beside each other in the grass. Snaketail laid his head on Clearsky’s shoulder, purring loudly. Clearsky curled his tail around him, purring just as loudly.
“Clearsky. . .” Snaketail started hesitantly, breaking the silence. His mate opened one eye, peering questioningly at him. “If reincarnation is real. . . Would you still love me in our next life?”
Clearsky laughed as though the question was silly. He pressed his nose against Snaketail's. “I will find you in every lifetime.”