Crashing Waves

**Little Note:s**

***Please do not edit this page if you are not being careful with the grammar, spelling, and other "errors" you are editing.***

Crashing Waves is a fanfiction about the beginning of the sun-drown-place cats, and how they came together and formed a Clan. This is written by FlightRewritten, and the Clan featured in this fanfiction is hers. Please do not steal. The Clan has been created, go to its page here: WaveClan

Warriors, however, is by Erin Hunter. Some places in the fanfiction, such as Fourtrees, are also theirs. The other Clans mentioned will not be made real fanon Clans, as there are too many and I pretty much gave up on them a year ago. Yep, some of these Clans are more than a year old.

Whoever is an old friend of mine should remember a few of the characters featured in Wave's nine lives ceremony... OuO

## Prologue

The salty tang of sun-drown-water seemed to cover the entire beach. Waves crashed onto the shore, washing away sand and any pawprints left by the rogues that inhabited the cliffs. The landscape was void of life, besides the one cat who sat, far from the azure seascape, watching a golden sun sink below the horizon.

"Wave," a sand-colored she-cat murmured to the gray tom, sadness sparkling in her eyes. "You couldn't do anything about Falling Stone's death. There wasn't enough prey around here, and you knew it."

"I'd do anything to bring her back. She was still so young," the tom answered, shivering as another pang of grief struck him.

"Seven moons isn't that young. True, she still had a lot of days ahead of her, but the stars were calling her. And when they call, you can do nothing but watch."

The tom shakily got up from his spot and shook the sand out of his fur. "Breeze?"

"Yes?"

"Can we please not mention Falling Stone?"

"As you wish." Breeze bowed her head and padded toward the cliff. With one massive leap, she landed four-pawed in one of the higher caves.

"Nice one, Breeze!" Wave congratulated, happiness sparking in his eyes.

"Thank you! I should get some shut-eye. It's been a long day, scouring the shores for prey." With that, Breeze was swallowed up by the shadows.

Wave looked up at the seemingly empty cave and sighed. How great it would be to have his younger sister here with him, staring out at the endless water, her warm fur pressing against his.

*But it'll never be like that again,* Wave thought to himself, his amber eyes narrowing. He let out a loud yawn and realized that he, too, was exhausted from the day. Not wanting to join Breeze, he curled up and went to sleep right there on the beach.

It had seemed like only a second before Wave was right back on the beach. Silver stars shimmered overhead, the half moon spreading a cold light over the landscape. He looked behind him, expecting to see the familiar pattern of caves, or Breeze leaping down from her cave to scold him for staying out so long. But there was nothing, only the steep, rocky cliff face.

*Where* am *I?* Wave asked himself, starting to shiver not from cold, but from fear. Had he sleepwalked?

"Wave."

With a screech, Wave shot into the air and landed facing his sister.

"FALLING STONE! I thought you were DEAD!"

"I am, I just wanted to visit you in your dream." Falling Stone replied simply.

"I'm only *dreaming?* Mouse dung, I was hoping you were actually alive." Wave hissed.

"I came to tell you something. And it's very important. Listen carefully, Wave. And make sure to tell this to Breeze. If you don't, you might never be able to accomplish it," Falling Stone meowed, suddenly sounding quite serious again.

"Okay, sure," Wave shrugged and locked his amber gaze on his sister.

"You need to form a Clan. Two cats living on this beach isn't going to get you anywhere. You're grieving for me, and all you do during the day is trod up and down the shore looking for a dead fish to turn up somewhere. No. Find the rogues in the area, and tell them to meet here, at the cliff. Explain what benefits a Clan could have for them. Convince them to join."

"And what will *I* get out of it?" Wave growled. "There's no way I'm going to be finding a bunch of cats to live with me for nothing."

"You will lead them. And have another cat lead beside you. Your deputy. The other cats will be hunters, fighters. Warriors, they will be called. They will patrol the borders and hunt. Younger cats will be taught the Clan's ways. They'll be the apprentices. The youngest of them all will be the-"

"Kits, I know." Wave's voice suddenly softened. "Breeze should soon be expecting mine. We're kind of close..."

"Oh, Wave, that's great news!" Falling Stone brushed her tail-tip against her brother's side. "Anyways," she cleared her throat, "the kits will then become apprentices at six moons."

"Hold it, hold it. You said I'd be leader."

"Yes, I did."

"What if I die?"

"The deputy will take over. And don't worry, you won't die *too* soon. Your warrior ancestors will grant you nine lives to lead your Clan for as long as possible." Falling Stone explained.

"Great!" Wave exclaimed, glad his problem had been solved.

"Now, Wave. Travel safely, and may the stars light you path."

Wave awoke shivering. Sand clung to his pelt. "Whoa, never sleeping outside again!" he reminded himself, before standing up and shaking it out of his pelt. "BREEZE!!! BREEZE!!!" he called.

No answer followed.

"Oh, let stars forbid she died in her sleep..." he whimpered. Wave raced up to the cliffside and leaped into Breeze's cave. He landed safely, but one paw landed unsteadily, and he almost toppled over. Breeze's sweet, warm scent washed over him, without the unmistakable tang of death mingled with it.

*She's alive, thank the stars.*

"Breeze," Wave whispered, silently stalking closer to his mate. "Breeze!" he mewed a little louder, this time poking her in the side.

"OW! Wave! What do you want? It must be important, waking me *this* early!"

Wave rolled his eyes. "It's past dawn already, fish-brain." He grabbed Breeze by her scruff and pulled her to her paws. "Listen. Falling Stone visited me in my sleep and told me to create some sort of Clan. I'd be the leader, and I'd be in charge of finding cats to join. They'd meet here at the cliffs so I can explain everything to them."

"Oh, yes. *Everything* is about *you,*" Breeze hissed.

"No! I didn't mean it like that*.* Do you know any rogues, by any chance?" Wave queried.

"Actually, I do. They live near those tall, scrawny trees with no leaves except those spiky ones at the top. I don't know *how* they manage to find a den there, or how they find prey. But come on, I'll lead you to them." Before either of them could move, a shriek split the air, and the tang of blood followed.

"A cat is being attacked on our territory! Quickly, down onto the shore! We *have* to save it! Maybe it could join our Clan!" Wave yelped, fur bristling. He hesitated before leaping down.

*Fish-brain, this cat could die!*

Gathering up his courage, Wave leaped down to face a pitch-black tom, pinning down a small brown tabby she-cat.

"What are you *DOING*?" Wave snarled, fury blazing in his eyes. His fur was bristling, his claws were unsheathed, and his teeth were bared. Breeze stood beside him like his reflection.

"This forest scum was hunting on *my* territory!" the black tom growled, sinking his claws into the she-cat's neck. The she cat squeaked helplessly, eyes as wide as the moon.

"That is no reason to kill her for doing so! A cat doesn't need to to kill to win a battle!" Wave argued, taking a step forward.

"You seem soft for a rogue. Are you sure you aren't just a wailing, pitiful kittypet who lost his Twolegs?" the black tom sneered. The she-cat under his paws squealed as he sank his claws even deeper, drawing blood that glittered scarlet in the sun.

"NO!"

Wave hurled himself at the tom, barreling into his side and knocking him into the sand. The tom immediately recovered and swiped at Wave, knocking him down. He then returned to the tabby she-cat, and the two were soon a hissing, spitting bundle of teeth and claws.

"ENOUGH, YOU TWO, ENOUGH!!!" Breeze yowled furiously, half at the sky and half to the skirmishing cats. The fighting calmed.

"Soft, little kittypet, wailing for all this 'nonsense' to stop." the tom mewled in a pitiful voice, before turning on the tabby she-cat and slitting her throat.

"No..." Wave had just gotten up, and when he saw the she-cat's body lying lifeless on the floor, blood gushing out of her wound and turning the tom's paws scarlet, he let out a furious caterwaul and swiped at the tom, but missed. "Who *are* you?"

"I'm Pitch." the tom replied, eyes narrowing, claws glistening with blood.

"Listen, Pitch. This violence isn't necessary. Join our Clan. We will fight our enemies, but only if we absolutely must," Wave pleaded. "Join us and you'll be happy."

"Happy *and* we get to fight our enemies? I might join."

"Then meet at the cliff when the moon is full," Wave growled. "And no more killing, got it?"

"Sure." Pitch replied, stalking away until he was a tiny speck on the horizon. Wave's eyes suddenly grew wider and his entire body stiffened. His fur bristled as he encountered the scent of his sister.

*You have your first Clanmate. But beware. If you fail to bond and create a Clan, all will be lost.*

## Chapter 1

"Breeze, are you sure that we should talk to these rogues about our Clan? I mean, after the incident with Pitch, I'm sort of afraid to talk to them. What if they shred me?" Wave questioned, his fur bristling on end.

"Wave, really. I've known these rogues for quite a while. In fact, I was born a rogue. But then I decided to leave their little gang and come down here to the ocean, where I met you. Trust me, Wave. If they trust anyone, it's me." Breeze's reassuring words calmed Wave down for a while. He looked out a the horizon. No trees. Not even the tall, scrawny one Breeze had mentioned they'd meet the rogues at the previous day.

"I don't see any trees."

"Fish brain. Stop looking at your paws and look forward! For the stars' sake, we're already *here!*" Breeze hissed, jabbing Wave in the side. "Hello, Champ! Parker, it's been a while!" she called to the rogues, who were looking up from the bloody body of a seagull and now padding up to their old friend.

"Breeze! We thought you were dead or something, until Pitch came back and told us there were some weird cats on the beach creating some Clan that he wanted to join." a light brown tabby tom mewed cheerfully, his tail twining with Breeze's. Wave glared.

"Wave, don't have such a sour look on your face!" Breeze meowed, nodding to the two rogues that had come to greet them. "They're glad to see me again. After all, I left them during kithood." Wave just muttered something under his breath as Breeze introduced him to the rogues.

"Parker, Champ, meet Wave. He's going through rough times," Breeze explained. A fluffy white tom padded up to Wave. "Heya, Wave! Great to meet you! The name's Champ, and the tabby over there is my bro, Parker."

"Yea. Um. Hi. So I'm Wave, and I am *not* going through *any* tough times right now." Wave hissed, glaring at Breeze, who was now chattering away with Parker like starlings.

"And so that's why you should join our Clan." she finished up.

"Whoa, I'm *totally* in, Breeze!" Parker mewed excitedly, eyes as wide as moons. "Can you tell me more about this StarClan thing? They seem interesting."

"I'm not the one who was actually informed about this Clan by StarClan themselves. You need to talk to Wave about that. He could explain more thoroughly what a Clan is and how a Clan is supposed to work. Champ?" Champ turned to face Breeze. "Yeah?"

"You should go to Wave, too. Oh, and get the other rogues, too. We need a bunch of cats for our Clan," Breeze commanded.

"Okay, sure." Champ bounded back to the tree, and meowed a few things to the other rogues that were there. They immediately started toward Breeze and Wave.

Breeze's eyes brightened at the sight of her old friends. "Wave, that's Mint, Swift, Branch, Driftwood, Pitch," At the mentioning of his name, Pitch stopped talking to a nearby she-cat and looked up at Breeze, then his gaze moved to Wave. "Hey, I've met you two before. Is this supposed to be about the Clan?"

"Yes, it is. Pitch, you already said you'd join, right?" Breeze queried.

"Yeah, well, one question."

"What is it?" Wave snapped.

"Well, you see, I can't leave Russet behind. Russet is my all-time favorite she-cat." He turned to look at a bracken-colored she-cat, whose eyes glimmered with love. "If she doesn't want to join your Clan, I'm not going to join either. Well, Russet? What do you think?"

"That wasn't a question," Wave muttered under his breath crossly.

"I'm not choosing to join the Clan. Or not to join it. I need to learn about it first." Russet mewed. Her amber gaze was locked on Wave, unwavering. She seemed to have forgotten about Pitch.

"All right. So, a cat with a starry pelt came to me in a dream." He decided to conceal his sister's identity, to avoid being bombed with questions about why his sister died. "She told me to create a Clan." Before Wave could continue, Russet broke in.

"Is that all? Wow, I thought it would be more... interesting."

"No, that is *not* all." Wave growled. "She told me about a Clan. How it works, the ranks, names, ceremonies, so on, so forth. Kits are cared for by queens. Warriors protect the Clan's members. Elders are warriors and queens who retired from their duties. And the leader and deputy help each other lead the Clan. Oh, and apprentices are mentored by warriors, and, on rare occasions, by the deputy or leader."

"Huh. Interesting. What rank would I fit into?" Russet asked.

"You would be a warrior, I would guess. Have you hunted your own prey?" Wave queried.

"I'm the best hunter here. I provide food for these lazy lumps. Pitch is the second best hunter. And I'm not just saying that. He is." Russet mewed.

"And do you have experience in battle?"

Russet hissed and flicked an ear with at least three or four nicks in it, and held up an arm that had a scar slashed across it. "Too many invaders these days. If a Clan is really as great and as safe as it seems, I'll join." The other cats murmured their agreement. "So where do we live?" Russet finally asked.

"We live by the beach in those caves on the cliffside. I can guarantee that you can all leap high, since you feed on those white birds that fly high in the sky." Wave told them.

"Oh!" Breeze meowed suddenly. "We need a medicine cat! A cat who specializes in healing and is great with herbs, and is kind and compassionate, and can talk to our ancestors in the stars."

The gathered rogues looked at each other, then shrugged. "*I'd* rather be a warrior." someone exclaimed in the middle of the cluster of cats. All the cats yowled their agreement. "Warriors *FIGHT!"*

"They go on *PATROLS!*"

"And they hunt!"

"And train apprentices!"

"Medicine cats also train apprentices, you flea-brains. And a medicine cat has a more important rank than a warrior. Sure, they never fight. All right, they can never have a mate or kits. But if the leader receives a sign from our ancestors, he or she goes to the medicine cat."

"I'm sticking with warrior." Pitch growled. "There's no need for this soft medicine cat you speak of. We can heal ourselves! There's no need for some stranger to come up to us and start smothering cobwebs and marigold all over our wounds."

"Then be a warrior. All of you!" Wave yowled. "Meet at the cliffs by the beach at the full moon! I will explain more, and hopefully you will have decided on joining the Clan or not." And with that, Wave padded back in the direction of the cliffs, with Breeze not far behind.

"Bye, Breeze!" Champ and Parker called in unison.

"Goodbye, guys! I hope you join! Then we can live together again! How great would that be?" Breeze yowled back, happiness gleaming in her eyes.

*I can't wait to hear if they joined. They're such good friends... and not at all sharp or rude like Wave can be.*

"Breeze?"

"Yes, Wave?"

"I wonder if those rogues will join our Clan," Wave meowed. "If they do, then we'll have more Clanmates. But I'm worried about those two rogues... Champ and Parker? You seem *awfully* close to them." his tone soured at the mentioning of the two rogues.

"Wave, I know what this is. Jealousy. I can have friends if I'd like to! I don't need to remain a mean, solitary cat like you!" she hissed, but there was a hint of love in her voice. "Wave, you're my mate. I don't love anyone else but you."

That night was cold and windy. The waves crashed onto the beach, making so much noise that Wave felt like he would never go to sleep. He pressed closer to Breeze's warm, soft fur.

*The full moon is so far away... I can't wait a quarter moon for these lumps to show up!* he thought to himself, fluffing out his fur in hopes of warming up. Eventually, he gave up, and padded to the back of the den, where he hoped the wind wouldn't reach him. Instead, he was hit more fiercely there then when he was beside Breeze, so he picked himself up again and padded back over to her. Breeze let out a furious kick, jabbing Wave in the chest.

"*OWWW!!!*" Wave yowled in pain. Breeze's orange eyes flickered open.

"Shut up, fish-brain. A cat can't get a decent sleep here without being woken up by the waves, wind, cold, or you. Or by the stupid kits. I feel like I've eaten crow-food, or that someone dropped a stone into my belly."

"Breeze, it's fine." Wave tried to comfort his mate. "Kits are awesome."

"For a moon? Are you *kidding?* You'd screech your head off if you were in my situation! And these freezing nights are *killing* me."

Wave rolled his eyes. "You'll live." he pressed back against his mate. Eventually he was asleep.

The next day dawned bright and warm. *Another warm greenleaf day,* Wave thought happily. *But there's still no Clan. It's so lonely here with only Breeze.*

"WAVE!" Breeze's sharp mew sounded behind him.

"Yes, Breeze?" Wave muttered, looking at his paws in annoyance. "Are you thinking about asking the rogues to come tonight instead of a quarter moon from now?" he queried. "I'm impatient. I need the Clan now. I want to know who wants to join and who doesn't."

"I was thinking the same thing. Let's go to the rogues' tree and tell them we rescheduled the gathering."

The rogues had agreed to change the meeting from the night of the full moon to that night. The stars glittered overhead. A half moon hung in the sky, casting its reflection upon the ocean. Wave sat on a tall rock that jutted out from the cliff. Breeze sat at the foot of the rock, her amber eyes staring out at the endless sea.

"They should be here by now. Had they forgotten?" she asked with an annoyed hiss. "Well, they're rogues. You can't expect those lumps to remember anything." As if summoned by her words, Parker and Champ appeared by the cliff, their eyes glowing, despite the blackness. "We're not lumps!" Champ yowled cheerfully.

"Oh, look. You remembered to come." Breeze growled.

"Of course we did! You think we'd miss out on a Clan meeting?" Parker mewed, giving his chest fur a couple of quick licks. "I wouldn't miss it for all the fresh-kill in the world. And I *love* fresh-kill."

Wave rolled his eyes. "Good for you. Now, take a seat where you are, and just wait for the others to come." He looked at the place where the two brothers had arrived. He wondered in any of the other rogues would come. Pitch seemed like a good asset to the Clan, but would he even show up? Then, a sinking feeling came over him.

*Pitch isn't going to come if that Russet cat doesn't want to. What a fish-brain, to have all of his decisions affected by* her! *If he doesn't come, I'll blame it on Russet.* Wave thought, hissing as he pictured Russet and Pitch, together near the Scrawny Tree instead of coming to the meeting.

"Hey, Wave! I came, and Russet's here, too!" Pitch's voice yowled from the bottom of the rock.

"PITCH! You scared me to the roots of my pelt!" Wave hissed. "I thought you wouldn't come! I thought you didn't want to join!" *Or Russet didn't want to join,* he wanted to add. Eventually, one by one, all the rogues he had addressed earlier that day began to arrive. First Mint, then Branch and Yowler, then Adder, and finally Misty, Crash, and Hoot.

"Rogues of the Scrawny Tree!" Wave yowled. "I've come to tell you about a Clan I am creating. A starry cat came to me in my dreams, and told me that we must join together and create a Clan, or we won't survive. I don't know why we won't, since we've all made it this far. But I decided to do as she said. I've gathered you here tonight to ask you to join my Clan."

The gathered rogues started to murmur.

"And what do we do in a Clan?" Misty queried. "What kinds of ranks are there? And what do cats of each rank even do?" she met Wave's gaze with a challenging one.

"Well, if ranks and their jobs are what you seek, than here they are. The leader leads the Clan, obviously. When a cat becomes leader, he or she receive nine lives from his or her warrior ancestors. The deputy becomes leader if the leader dies. The job of the deputy is to sort out patrols. A cat can only become deputy if they've mentored an apprentice. Warriors hunt and fight for the Clan, and sometimes mentor apprentices. Apprentices are young cats who train to be warriors. Kits are the youngest cats. Queens are she-cats who are expecting or nursing kits. And elders are warriors and queens who have retired," Wave explained. He stopped talking only to hear Breeze add something.

"And the medicine cat's job is to heal other cats and to interpret signs from our warrior ancestors," she mewed from the foot of the rock.

*Why does she keep mentioning medicine cats? My Clan will be strong enough to heal themselves. We don't need a* medicine cat!

"Now that you have heard the ranks and the duties of cats of each rank, are you satisfied?" Wave asked, half to the group and half to Misty herself.

Only Misty replied. "Yes."

"Alright then. Now. I would like to know who would like to join my Clan. If you would like to become a member of the Clan, join Breeze at the foot of the rock. If not, please just stay put," Wave yowled. He watched with gleaming eyes as Parker, Champ, Pitch, and Russet took off toward Breeze immediately. Branch and Misty followed more slowly. Adder, who turned out to be quite a young cat, bounded behind them, and Yowler, Hoot, and Crash followed even slower while chatting in low voices. Only Mint stayed put.

"I'm happy with my housefolk, thanks," he growled, lashing his tail. "They feed me. I don't need to *hunt* for you miserable lot. Hoot? I thought you were my friend!" Mint snarled.

"Mint, you're a *kittypet?*" Hoot queried with an astonished tone in his voice. "If I'd known, I would've never been your friend in the first place. And now that you're not joining Wave's Clan, I hate you even more." he narrowed his eyes and let out a menacing hiss. The other rogues murmured their agreement. With a glare at his former friend, Mint got up and ran away.

"Wave?" Breeze queried, suddenly standing right beside him on the rock. "Now that we've got a Clan, what do you want to call it? We can't just call it 'Wave's Clan' or 'your Clan'. We need a name *right now.*"

"How about WaveClan?" Wave suggested. "Not after me, but after where we're based. On the cliffs by a sun-drown-place where the waves crash onto the shore." To his surprise, instead of hissing at him and saying how stupid that name sounded, Breeze actually nodded with a gleam of joy in her eyes. She tipped back her head and started yowling to the sky. "WaveClan! WaveClan! WaveClan!" the rogues around her joined in.

"WaveClan! WaveClan! WaveClan!"

"Long live WaveClan!" Pitch yowled, his brilliant green eyes gleaming.

Suddenly, Wave could once again scent his sister's presence. But this time he didn't feel a longing to be close to her. He felt angry she would even bother to come.

*You have done well, my dear brother. But be careful with this Clan. Loyalties can easily be lost.* Her voice echoed in his ear.

*Falling Stone, would you stop visiting me and putting my Clan in danger? You're not making it better for anyone.* Wave thought sourly.

## Chapter 2

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Tallstone for a Clan meeting!" Wave yowled to the pale dawn sky. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a milky light on the sea and cliffs alike. The cliffs were bathed in orange light, and cats were just beginning to wake up. Pitch was the first one up and at the foot of the Tallstone, looking up at his leader with his intimidating green stare.

"Well?" he meowed, whiskers twitching. "Are you going to start or what?" Pitch let out a mew and Russet leaped down onto the sand. She raced over to Pitch and took a seat beside him, her dark ginger fur making her look aflame in the dawn light. The other cats were roused by Wave's call. Adder wailed pitifully as he leaped down from a higher den in the cliffs. "I stepped on a thorn!"

With a twitch of her whiskers, Breeze padded up to Adder to inspect the thorn. "You're in luck," she mewed, "it's not embedded that deep into your pad." she gripped the thorn in her jaws and yanked it out. Adder yowled in pain, frantically licking his pad, where blood had started oozing out.

"Don't worry, Adder. We don't need any herbs for this. Just keep licking it and stay off that paw for a while. It should be fine soon." Breeze mewed reassuringly, brushing her tail-tip against the young cat's side. "Now, sit down here so that your leader can talk, okay?"

Adder licked his pad several times before answering. "Okay." he whimpered, limping over to Pitch and lying down next to him. Hoot and Yowler leaped down from their cave, jabbing each other in the sides.

"I am *not* a kittypet!" Hoot growled. "And if you think I am, then it's probably *you* who's the kittypet, to be foolish enough to suspect that your brother lives with *Twolegs!*"

Yowler hissed back, eyes flashing. "Well, you were the one who was friends with Mint. Mint was flea-brained enough to not accept Wave's invitation to join the Clan. Are you going to stay loyal to the Clan and fight in battles, hunt, and patrol with us? Or will you just run back to your Twolegs?" Misty, who had been watching them from behind, ran up and stood between the two quarreling toms.

"Would you two shut up? Neither of you is a kittypet, since you both grew up near the same tree as I did! And neither of you are cowards, either." she glared at Yowler. "You both decided to join WaveClan, didn't you?" she waited for an answer before snapping at the toms again. "*Didn't* you?"

Hoot muttered something under his breath. "Yeah." he lashed his tail and fixed his glowering gaze of Misty. "You shouldn't be getting involved with our problems. You're not helping."

Yowler nodded, hissing at the gray she-cat. "We could've solved it ourselves, you know. It's not like we needed a flea-brained she-cat here to stop us from fighting." He swiped at Misty with his claws, but she ducked and rolled under the tom, swiping at his underbelly, then leaping up and pinning him down. Yowler let out a cry of pain.

"STOP!" Wave snarled from the top of the Tallstone, his eyes narrowed until they were just glowing amber slits. "We're in a Clan now. There's no fighting your Clanmates. Misty, get off of Yowler. Yowler, no calling your brother names." He looked down to see that all of his new Clanmates had already reached the rock. "Now. What I really wanted to say was that you can't keep your rogue names." Yowls of protest arose from the group.

"But I *like* my name!"

"You monster! My mother named me right before she *died!*"

"Our names are fine!"

"You'll be receiving warrior names. I'm sorry, but it has to be done." Wave meowed, silencing the cats around the Tallstone. "I will call you up in groups of three to receive your warrior names." He nodded to Pitch, Parker, and Champ. They both rose from their spots with confused expressions. Parker looked at his paws.

"Pitch. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend it, even at the cost of your life?" Wave mewed.

Pitch, with a surprised expression, replied, "Sure." He twitched his whiskers and waited a moment before meowing, "So what's my warrior name?"

Wave sighed. "It doesn't go like that. You need to say, 'I do.' And you don't *ask* me what your warrior name will be, you flea-brain. I have to give it to you. Now, do it again, and this time get it right. Pitch, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend it, even at the cost of your life?"

Pitch stood in silence for what felt like forever, his green gaze burning on Wave's pelt. "I do," he finally meowed. Wave nodded before speaking.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Pitch, from now on, you will be Duskclaw. StarClan honors your courage and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WaveClan." Duskclaw bent down to lick Wave's shoulder. Duskclaw's Clanmates cheered his new name, their eyes glimmering with happiness. And so the ceremony went on. Parker became Runningcloud. Champ became Whitestrike, Misty's new name was Mistytail, Branch became Branchtail, Yowler became Leaffall, Russet became Russetstep, Crash became Lightningfoot, Hoot became Sharpfang, and Breeze became Breezedapple. The only cat left was Adder.

"What's my warrior name going to be?" he squeaked, looking up at Wave with bright, shining eyes. He scuffled at the ground a bit before meeting his leader's gaze once more. "Can I be Adderstrike? I want to be Adderstrike!" his burr-sharp claws slid out and he bared his teeth, trying his hardest to look menacing. The only reaction he got was a chuckle from Breezedapple.

"No, Adder. You aren't old enough to be a warrior yet." He turned to the rogues. "How old is Adder?"

"He's about six moons old, but he certainly doesn't act like it. I'm so proud of him! Ever since his mother died, he's learned to eat prey like us! And he was only two moons old when he tried his first prey." Mistytail replied, her blue gaze suddenly turned from prideful to warm.

"Then Adder." he turned to face the young tom once more, who was now staring at a butterfly that had just fluttered past. "From this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you will be Adderpaw." Adderpaw puffed out his chest. "I'm *Adderpaw!*" he mewed proudly. Wave desperately wanted to be the young tom's mentor, but he wanted to give him to another cat so that they could learn how to train an apprentice. "Your mentor will be Breezedapple."

Breezedapple padded up to the rock and with one massive leap landed on its smooth surface. "I am honored." She dipped her head and touched noses with her new apprentice, who clearly didn't understand the importance of this ceremony.

"What will we learn today, Breezedapple?" he queried, gazing up at her with round, curious eyes. "I want to learn *battle moves!* The other apprentices will be *soooo* jealous!" he meowed, swatting at his mentor playfully. Suddenly, a butterfly crossed his path and he bounded off after it.

"Adderpaw! Get back here! You can't just run off like that!" A screech was her only reply. A strong fear-scent washed over her. "ADDERPAW!!!" Breezedapple leaped through a dense cluster of bushes to see a hole gaping wide at her paws. She drew back quickly before she fell in. "ADDERPAW! Are you okay?" No reply followed. Gathering up her courage, Breezedapple plunged into the thick blackness.

Breezedapple woke up, being tossed and turned over and over again in an underground river. Her lungs were screaming for air, and she felt her fur being tugged by the powerful current. There was no sign of Adderpaw, not even a whiff of his scent. Breezedapple let out a cry of pain as her leg hit something hard.

*A rock, perhaps?*

There, in the dim light, Breezedapple saw that the river suddenly cut off. The water plunged down, down, down into a foaming madness. She let out a screech as she toppled over. She felt like she was falling off of a cliff, but there was no warm, soft sand to break her fall. No Wave to reassure her that she was safe. Just a foaming fury of water. Breezedapple finally plunged into the river again, kept submerged underwater by the waterfall crashing down above her. She felt like it was breaking her spine.

*What if Adderpaw drowned here? I need to try and find him, dead or alive!*

Breezedapple pushed herself out of the waterfall's force using the rocks sticking out all around her. Eventually, she realized that the current had stopped furiously trying to rip her fur to shreds, and that the water she was standing in hardly touched her belly fur. Breezedapple slowly trudged toward the shore. She shivered when her paws touched the floor of the cave. It was colder than the ocean. This was a cold, dark cave deprived of sunlight ever since it had been created.

"Adderpaw!" she called, though Breezedapple had lost all hope of finding the energetic little ginger cat. In a cave like this, his chances of survival were slim. "Adderpaw!" her echo was the only answer she received. Now Breezedapple was sure that Adderpaw was dead.

*I've failed. Failed my apprentice, failed Wave, failed* everyone.

Breezedapple threw herself onto the hard stone floor. It froze through her fur to her bones, but she didn't care. Her apprentice was dead, and this was only his first day of training. She looked around the cave, at the cascading waterfall, the calm stream it turned into. For the first time, she realized its beauty. She picked herself up, her arms tired from trying to beat the current.

*All streams empty into something,* Breezedapple thought. *Perhaps this one empties into the sun-drown-place. Then I'll be out of this cave!* With new hope, Breezedapple padded by the crystal-clear water. It's quiet trickling noise calmed her, and for a while she forgot all about her apprentice. Then, she saw the source of the stream. A large, star-shaped pool, surrounded by delicate, glimmering crystals that seemed to whisper to her. Then, she noticed a soggy ginger scrap near the pool. *Adderpaw!*

 "Adderpaw! Adderpaw, can you hear me?" Breezedapple asked, nudging the apprentice gently. He looked nothing like the energetic cat he was during his apprentice ceremony. Now he looked half his size, his fur plastering to his small frame. The little cat coughed up a few mouthfuls of water, then looked up at his mentor. "I was swept here by a river or something!" he yowled.

Breeze rolled her eyes. "And you could've died because of it. You ran away into territory you didn't know, and fell into this cave. StarClan *knows* what could've happened to you! You could've killed yourself. Come on. We're finding a way out of this cave," she growled, snagging Adderpaw's scruff with her claws and dragging him away from the pool.

"But Breezedapple, wait! When I was still recovering from almost drowning, there was this cat. She was all starry, and frost collected where she walked. Her eyes glimmered like stars, and-" Adderpaw was cut off by a dismissive mew from his mentor.

"And I'm sure hedgehogs flew, too. Now, let's get out of here." she retorted, strengthening her grip.

"But I'm *serious!* Maybe we can use this place to communicate with your warrior ancestors, the StarClan or whatever you call them. It seems like that kind of place! The she-cat who visited me in my dream looked like a warrior ancestor of yours," Adderpaw suggested. "Drink some of that water, then try to go to sleep. It'll work, it will!"

Breezedapple was hesitant to do so, and definitely didn't want to be ordered around by an apprentice, but she followed his instructions and lapped at the glittering silver water. Immediately, darkness engulfed her.

Breezedapple awoke not on the beach, but in a forest. The trees rang with birdsong, the sun shining through gaps in the trees and illuminating patches of the forest. She took a step forward, hardly able to comprehend what was going on.

"Hello, Breeze. Or should I call you Breezedapple now? I'm so proud that you joined a Clan!" A light brown tabby she-cat with fiery amber eyes stepped out out the undergrowth, her pelt glimmering like it was sprinkled with stars.

"Mother? But you died!" Breezedapple gaped at the sight. She had died of greencough several moons ago, when Breezedapple was a very young kit. She still remembered that day, when not even Dying Flame, an old, wise cat who was skillful herbs couldn't help her. The last words her mother croaked out between her frequent hacking coughs came back to her. *No matter what you think, not everyone is lost forever.*

"Go back to the Clan," her mother demanded. "Tell Wave about this cave. To become a true leader, one must receive their nine lives, so they can lead the Clan for as long as possible. Go, Breeze, and may StarClan light your path."

Breezedapple awoke, shivering. Her amber eyes were stretched wide, the tang of fear drenching her pelt. "What just happened...?" she murmured half to herself and half to her apprentice, who was now lying flat on his back, snoring away. "Wake up, you flea-brain!" Breezedapple jabbed her snoozing apprentice in the side, and he immediately shot up, bristling.

"Oh, it's just you." Adderpaw shrugged, beginning to lay down again. Breezedapple bit into his scruff and started dragging him away. "Hey! Where are we going?" he yelped, struggling free of his mentor's grip.

"We're going back to camp. Wave deserves to know about this place," she growled. Seeing the relieved look on Adderpaw's face that she hadn't mentioned punishment, Breezedapple decided to continue. "And I'll tell Wave about how you disobeyed me. Not just some random warrior, but your *mentor*."

"Wait. You're telling me that you found a cave that I could go to to communicate with StarClan?" Wave queried, his long whiskers twitching.

"Yes. Adderpaw found it, but he was half dead by the time I got there. So I technically found it. And a StarClan cat also met with me in my dreams, as in Adderpaw's." Breezedapple answered, glaring at the little apprentice, who was bouncing around wildly as his mentor mentioned his name.

Wavestar's gaze suddenly shone with the same starry light as the StarClan cats'. "If this is the place for me to receive my nine lives, then I must go as soon as possible."

## Chapter 3

The cave was sheathed in silvery moonlight, despite the darkness before. Breezedapple hadn't noticed the gap in the roof of the cave before. Now, accompanying Wave on his journey to the Starcave, she was able to observe every detail. The moon seemed to cast its light onto the crystals, which shone like a million scattered stars.

"Why did I have to come with you, Wave? A leader should only be accompanied by a medicine cat. They are the only ones, along with the leader, who can come and understand what is going on," Breezedapple murmured as she stared into the deep blue pool, her reflection rippling, though there was no wind.

"Because we have no medicine cat, and I don't plan on finding one. Our Clan is fine without a cat to tend to our wounds, after all, isn't that what Dying Flame, the kind old loner by the Scrawny Tree is for?" Wave hissed, bending down to lap at the crystalline water.

"Dying Flame is dead," Breezedapple choked out, looking down at her paws. "I asked him to become our medicine cat. He accepted, and I started to lead him back to the camp. Then, a dog just-"

"Dogs? But dogs always live with Twolegs! There are never Twolegs around here, not even in greenleaf. The nearest Twolegplace is several treelengths away, and dogs *never* leave their Twolegs. Those mangy furballs." Wave suddenly snapped, turning away from the pool. His fur was bristling, eyes gleaming like wildfire.

"You didn't let me finish, flea-brain." Breezedapple snapped back. The crystals seemed to have dimmed, and the waves on the pool's surface were starting to grow bigger, lapping at the two cats' paws. Breezedapple shivered and moved her paws out of the ice-cold water. "Before he died, he told me something."

"Get on with it, you know I'm not one to wait, especially since I want to have my nine lives ceremony tonight." Wave mewed, once more padding over to the pool. His gray tabby fur was fluffed up against the cold of the cave.

"*When the waves meet the breeze, night will rise. Blood will flow through the rivers, red will stain the clouds."* Breezedapple whispered, her gaze clouding. "It was obviously some sort of prophecy. He was trying to warn us! Hard times will be coming for our Clan!"

"Ahh, so much like all other old cats. Dying Flame was promising us doom. He feels we are too weak to survive, so he was warning us to forget about the Clan and go about our lives as loners and rogues. Well, I won't listen to him. The Clan will rise, not night. And red clouds? Pure nonsense, I call it. Nonsense from a nonsensical mind." Wave scoffed, lashing his tail. He began to lap at the water in front of him.

"Wave, listen to me. This is true danger we're talking about. A few dogs are nothing. But this, this is something that can hurt us. Really bad. Possibly wipe out our Clan altogether. Wave, please!" Breezedapple pleaded. But her leader was already out cold.

\* \* \*

The sky was scattered with silvery stars. Wave stood at the base of four great oaks, their branches stretching up into the inky black sky. A great rock loomed overhead, even taller than the Tallstone back at camp. All around him he could hear the sounds of cats speaking, and could smell the scents of all kinds of different cats. The scent of the pines from the forest. The tang of fish and the marsh. The warm smells of heather and freshly-killed rabbit.

And then it all fell silent.

Breezedapple padded up to Wave's side. "You heard it too, I assume?" she murmured, gazing up at the oak trees, seeming to stretch on forever, taller than any trees she had seen near the beach. "This place is amazing... I wonder if it's close to here... near home."

"A Clan Gathering!" Wave suddenly blurted out. "All those voices, the scents mingling with one another. These cats are from different Clans, and they all came to these four oaks to meet, share the news of the Clans, catch up on what the others missed! Announce the makings of new apprentices and warriors, or the retirement and the appointment of a new deputy! Announce a dead leader or Clanmate, or just share tongues!"

"That is right, Wave." A soft, gentle voice mewed behind him. "A Gathering is a truce between the Clans of the forest. They are long gone, now living near a distant lake that you will never reach, I'm afraid. It would take moons, Wave. But you can remember the Gatherings and hold your own for your Clan. Even though there are no other Clans, you can still share the news with your Clanmates."

"Who are you?" Wave queried, turning around to see a lithe, thick furred dark gray she cat with brilliant green eyes that seemed to shine as bright as the stars. Her fur was laced with glimmering frost, and she left a faint but beautiful trail of stars behind her.

"I am Mistytail." she dipped her head respectfully. "I was a warrior of an ancient Clan, older than the four Clans of the forest. My Clan was part of an alliance between four. SnowClan, PeakClan, IceClan, and FrostClan. I was SnowClan. We were constantly battling with the four Clans SandClan, SunClan, FireClan, and RockClan. I died in war, felled by my own sister, who was only trying to protect her kits." She pointed with her tail behind her, where countless cats had gathered. "You are ready, Wave."

Wave looked dumbfounded. "I-I..." he stared at the StarClan cats as one of them padded up to him. "Hi..." he mewed quietly as a large, burly dark brown tabby tom with leaf-green eyes stepped forward.

"I am Thornstrike. I was a warrior of one of the forest Clans. Because I was Half-Clan, none of my Clanmates trusted me. I was an outcast, and I sometimes heard queens tell their kits, 'go to sleep, or Thornstrike will gather the whole of ShadowClan to kill you!' But in battle against my father's Clan, I fought as fiercely as LionClan did, and when I died, my Clanmates honored me. Of course, I am long-forgotten, but my legacy can live on. I give you a life for not judging a cat by their Clan or by how they look, but by their character." Thornstrike touched his nose to Wave's. A warm, trusting feeling shot through Wave. "I will judge by character only. Half-Clan or not, former-kittypet or Clanborn, all my Clanmates are equal."

As Thornstrike stepped back, Wave was wondering where the next cat he would receive a life from was. He heard a squeak and looked down. A kit, around four moons old, looked up at him with round, shining blue eyes. His bright white fur was fluffed up, or maybe it was naturally like that. Though Wave knew nothing about this cat or who he was, a name shot through his mind. *Blizzardkit.*

"I suspect you know who I am, right? I think leaders just know who comes to give them a life! I always wanted to become leader..." Blizzardkit mewed dreamily. "I always picked on the younger and weaker kits, because I thought I was stronger and tougher than them. When I was about four moons old, I moved to tricking the elders. I once gave an elder crowfood, and they almost died because of it. I was self-centered and cared about no other cats. When I caught greencough, no cat helped me, and the medicine cat did little to save me. I am now here in StarClan because of that one leaf-bare bout that killed me. I give you a life for compassion, to know that all your Clanmates must be loved, and treated like kin. They do not deserve to be put down, because they are just as capable of doing anything as you are."

Wave bristled as fierce energy shot through him, but he let his fur lay flat again as it faded into a warmth that spread throughout his body, from warmth to tailtip. "Thank you, Blizzardkit. I will cherish this life and remember that I must not think anymore less of my Clanmates as I do myself."

As Blizzardkit bounded back into the crowd of cats, another cat with pitch black fur and a strong build padded up. Her bright amber eyes glowed with the same bright, sparkling light as the stars. Suddenly, this cat's name flashed into Wave's mind. *Darktail, a former queen of SkyClan.* Her soft, gentle voice and the smell of warmth and milk clinging onto her fur made Wave feel like he was a kit again, rolling around on the beach as his mother watched.

"I was a rogue named Dark Sky. When I heard of the Clans, I immediately joined the one that held the cats that shared my skills: SkyClan. Soon after I joined, I was expecting my mate's kits. Unfortunately, a battle arose when my kits were only two moons old. I fought with all my strength to save them. I was killed while defending them. Luckily, they survived, and they have joined me here tonight as we accept you as leader, Wave. I give you a life for a mother's love for her kits. The Clan areyour kits. Die to protect and defend them."

Wave dug his claws into the ground as a fierceness overcame him, like tigers. He would kill anything and anyone to protect his Clan, for they were his kits. "My Clan are like my kits. I will protect them with my life." he hissed, trying to block out the pain of his newly-received life.

Darktail turned and walked back to join the ranks of cats. A she-cat with a short, dark gray tabby pelt and eyes the same piercing blue as ice padded up. She had a slender build, but didn't look like the kind of cat who would easily die in a fight, and a way she stood told Wave this cat was perhaps the leader or deputy of her Clan.

"I am Wolfpelt." she hissed, eyeing Wave with narrowed eyes. "And as a former deputy of ShadowClan, I was an untrustworthy maggot-ridden mouse-brain. I was loyal to my Clan, but I seemed to have been enemies with every cat in the forest. I trusted no one, and I had the power to kill them at sight. But one day, when I was out hunting alone, I confronted one of my enemies, a ThunderClan tom. He was a respected warrior of ThunderClan, and I knew that. Just as I was about to deal the killing blow, I stepped off of him and let him go. I give you a life for mercy, Wave, so that you know to let your enemies go. Whether you have the power to kill them or not, remember the warrior code. ***You do not have to kill to win a battle.***"

Wave felt power at his clawtips, the power to slash an enemy open at will, but something held him down. His mind held new knowledge and control. He knew that even if deadliness was at his power, even if he had the power to end the life of his enemies, he also had the power to withdraw it. To follow that one rule of the warrior code. "Thank you, Wolfpelt. I am honored that you gave me this life. I will use it well."

Wolfpelt had barely stepped back before a lithe, long-legged light brown she-cat with short, coarse fur bounded up with a cheerful gleam in her eyes. She was too old to be an apprentice, but still looked rather young. Wave instantly recognized her. *Deerleg.*

"In WindClan, we had the tradition of tunneling. Some apprentices would train as warriors, while others would train as tunnelers. Much to my disappointment, I was chosen as a tunneler. But when ThunderClan attacked our camp, I forgot my tunneling duties and leaped into the heat of the fight to help my Clanmates! I had been watching the warriors every day as they hunted and trained the apprentices. With my unknown skill, I took one of the ThunderClan leader's lives and WindClan won the battle. I was moved to warrior that day. I give you a life for tireless energy, so that you can always be ready to rush into battle and fight your fiercest to defend your Clan."

Wave was suddenly filled with spirit. He could climb the tallest mountain, run to the end of the world, or throw himself into battle for the sake of his Clan. "Thank you, Deerleg. I will treasure this life and use it wisely."

As Deerleg leaped back, a cat extremely familiar to him padded up. She had stone-gray fur and bright blue eyes shining with love. It was Falling Stone, Wave's sister. Wave happily took a step forward to welcome her, but she narrowed her eyes and let out a low growl in response. "Now is not the time." she hissed. Wave sighed and stepped back to where he had previously been standing.

"I give you a life for living by the warrior code." Falling Stone mewed. "Live for the warrior code. Die defending it. Follow the warrior code, walk in your ancestors' pawsteps until you come and join us."

A vision blurred Wave's gaze. A warrior who had just taken a plump squirrel off of the fresh-kill pile gave it to a skinny-looking elder. Two new warriors sat vigil, gazing intently out the camp entrance, ears pricked for any sign of invasion, the four forest Clans gathered in the clearing of Fourtrees, whispering to each other and sharing tongues. "I will honor this life, Falling Stone. Thank you."

Once his sister had stepped back, Wave saw a slender-looking she-cat with thick, mottled brown fur and brilliant leaf-green eyes step forward. She walked with the authority of a leader, her head and tail held high, with the stars laced around in her pelt glimmering brightly.

"I am Thrushstar, an ancient leader of ThunderClan. I give you a life for courage, so that you won't cower in your den while your Clanmates are dying in battle, but you'll go join them! It doesn't matter how weak or how strong you are. If your Clanmates are struggling in battle without you, leap in and help. Be courageous. Fight until the end for your Clan."

Wave felt a fiery agony in him, but soon, it faded away. Breathing heavily, he barely managed to gasp a thank-you.

Thrushstar had barely stepped back before another cat padded up. This one looked familiar, but Wave had never known him. He had thick, ginger fur that blazed like fire in the starlight. His eyes were a bright, fiery amber that seemed to glow even brighter than his fur. "You- you're Dying Flame!" Wave suddenly mewed in surprise. "You were killed by dogs when you wanted to become medicine cat of our Clan!"

Dying Flame nodded. "I give you a life for endurance." he meowed quietly. A bolt of dull agony stabbed through Wave as he received the life. "Stand through it. Endure the pain."

No cat appeared from the ranks of StarClan after he had stepped back. Wave wondered if he would receive his last life. This was only his eighth, wasn't it? But then, he saw Mistytail step up. Her fur was thicker than he had remembered, her eyes glowing a brighter green than ever.

"I give you a life for loyalty to your Clan, for that was my downfall. Help your Clan and no one else, for your Clan are more important than any others. Fight to protect it. Follow the warrior code and defend it. And follow in your ancestors' pawsteps."

As Wave received this life, another vision blurred his gaze. He saw himself leaping into battle to help his Clan. He saw himself arguing with another cat over boundaries. A searing warmth spread through him from nose to tail-tip. He felt pride for his Clan, and would be loyal to them until his days were done. "Thank you, StarClan. For accepting me as the first leader of WaveClan."

The StarClan cats tipped their heads to the sky. Wavestar! Wavestar! Wavestar!" they cheered, bright, starry eyes gleaming with pride.

"I will lead WaveClan well! I will make them strong, StarClan. I promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend it..." Wave found himself reciting the words of a warrior ceremony, when an apprentice was being made a warrior.

"I know you will, Wavestar." Mistytail whispered behind him. "But beware. ***When the waves meet the night, blood will rise.***" Wave stepped back, eyes wide in horror, as the sky suddenly grew cloudy and starless. The cheers of the StarClan cats grew dimmer, until he realized they weren't cheering, but yowling in fear. Blood stained the grass around him. The bodies of dead kits lay everywhere. Mistytail was panting from several wounds scored across her pelt, her eyes glazed. "What's happening?" Wavestar yelped.

"NightClan is coming, Wavestar. They'll attack your territory and gradually, they'll start taking it. They'll close in on your camp. Many lives will be lost, Wavestar. And I'm not sure your Clan will survive it." Mistytail mewed between gasps. She suddenly collapsed onto the floor, and then it was all gone. The StarClan cats were still cheering, and Mistytail was smiling at Wavestar, congratulating him on his leadership to come.

\* \* \*

Wavestar awoke in the cave, with Breezedapple already awake beside him. "Wave! I mean Wavestar! I'm sorry I wasn't at your ceremony..."

Wavestar stared at her in shock, which was also mixed with a hint of fury. "What? Why? I thought you believed in StarClan. Wouldn't they allow you to attend the ceremony? I *saw* you standing there at Fourtrees with me."

"A StarClan cat led me away to a place I think was once WindClan territory. Suddenly, she was lying on the ground, covered in numerous scars. Blood was staining the ground. The shrieks and hisses of battling cats filled the air. There was the tang of blood and death hanging ominously in the air. And then it turned back to normal, but not before your ceremony ended."

"I saw it, too. She told me that it was NightClan. NightClan seems to be an evil, battlehungry Clan driven mad by power. But Mistytail told be there was a Clan trying to stop a war between her Clan and another called NightClan. How could a Clan so peaceful become so... insane?" Wave queried.

"Times change. Mistytail is in StarClan now. But even if it's that very NightClan or a different one doesn't matter. Hard times are coming for the Clan, and we won't survive if you aren't there to lead us through them."