It was almost time and Commander Moon was rushing through the grass, thankful it wasn’t raining for once. She was almost out of breath when she reached the border. Hawkwing jumped back when she almost crashed into him.

“In a rush?” Hawkwing asked almost laughing.

“Eh, only a little,” Commander Moon meowed.

Hawkwing dashed off with her following close behind. She was amazed by all the trees in Bird Family territory as they crossed through to get to the Sparkle Star.

Up ahead was the cave that had the colorful star shaped rock incased inside. The two cats took one step before hearing a loud growl and whipped around to see who it was. Two boys were being shoved towards the two cats by a brown tom and a gray tom.

“Commander Bird,” mewed Hawkwing bowing his head.

“Why are you crossing my territory?” Commander Bird growled. “And why are humans on it?”

Hawkwing gave a cheeky grin. “We invited some friends to help so I can get my nine lives safely.”

“You invited more?!” Pigeontail, who was the gray tom, exclaimed. “This isn’t a community lot!”

“We’ll leave once Hawkwing is done,” Commander Moon reassured. She didn’t even think that they would be on another Family’s territory. “I’m sorry for not being considerate.”

“As long as you ruffians leave instantly, I’m okay,” Commander Bird sniffed. “Next time, come to me personally first.” He trotted away. Pigeontail gave a disgusted look before following his Commander.

“That was close,” the boy with a mouse hat covering his face excluding the eyes and mouth said.

“You know what to do,” Hawkwing meowed. He gazed up at the cave. “I hope our ancestors are not angry at me.”

Commander Moon placed her tail on his back for comfort. He gulped and the two headed up to the cave. She wondered why she wasn’t tasked in going here to get her lives. A mysterious voice just spoke the lives in her. It was strange, and she wondered if Shining Skies was different for everyone’s nine lives ceremony.

A bright light welcomed them, and Commander Moon marveled at the beautiful stone that floated in the back of the cave. Different colors shined off it, making it even more beautiful. She watched as Hawkwing went up to the rock and placed his paw on the center of the star before backing up.

A blue orb floated out from the stone before forming into a spirit of Commander Gray. On his throat was the scar that killed him. Was that what every cat had to bear when they die was the scar from whatever that killed them. What if they got hit by a car or struck by lightning? She imagined the kind of imprints a cat would have for those type of fates.

“Son, you have finally made it,” Commander Gray meowed in an echoey voice.

“I’m sorry for the delay,” Hawkwing mewed sitting down.

“We will dismiss it this time,” Commander Gray told him.

This time? Can cats renew their lives? Or would there be consequence if Hawkwing sought out wisdom from their ancestors? Commander Moon studied how the ceremony went as Commander Gray placed his nose against Hawkwing before whispering something to him. How does he know what words to say?

After the ceremony, Commander Gray looked at Commander Moon. “How come you didn’t come here for your lives?”

“Um, they were spoken unto me I guess,” Commander Moon shrugged. Did it matter? She has the lives to prove her status.

Commander Gray closed his eyes and allowed another cat to take his place. This one was a black and brown molly with the same shade of orange eyes as Trainee Crow and Trainee Will. The now newly named Commander Hawk took a step back and allowed Commander Moon to face the newcomer.

“I am Commander Leaf, the previous Commander six years ago,” the brown and black molly meowed. “You have gained your lives not from us but from another source.”

I’m dead, Commander Moon thought. They’re going to strike me down with lightning.

“Why didn’t you come here?” Commander Leaf asked her eyes round.

“Well, I had my lives, so I didn’t think there was a whole ceremony to this whole thing,” Commander Moon confessed. “They basically told me that as I lose each life, I lose all strength that comes with it.”

Commander Leaf’s soulless orange eyes burned through Commander Moon. “Lives don’t do that,” she mewed. “They are there to keep you alive longer, age slower, to make sure you serve you Family for a period of time.”

Who lied to me?! Commander Moon wanted to shriek. She wondered if the voice who spoke to her was that annoying Commander Glitter. No, it was too deep. The voice was too deep to be Commander Glitter, hers was high-pitched and ear piercing.

“Commander Moon is still eligible to lead, right?” Commander Hawk asked. “She’s helped me become Commander that should give her a pass!”

“I guess we can let it go,” Commander Leaf sighed. “However, you are being tricked by someone most likely so don’t be stupid and get lead on, okay?”

“Uh, okay?” Commander Moon meowed, dazed. She flinched back when Commander Leaf touched noses with her. Pain seared through and she felt all her strength being sucked out. “What did you do?”

“Taking away all that false strength,” Commander Leaf hissed. She waved a paw at the purple molly. “After all, you gained it unfairly. Just exercise and you might get it back.”

Commander Moon crouched down but the previous Commander simply faded away into nothing leaving her to be confused. Commander Hawk blinked and looked at Commander Moon with a worried blue-gray gaze. “You feel okay?”

“I’ll live,” Commander Moon mewed. She ran out the cave and collapsed forgetting that she had her average strength back. Commander Hawk rushed to her side and helped her up.

They were welcomed by Browntop, Chief Duck, Mouse Floyd, and Lucky who looked curious. The other ducks and members of Browntop’s crew must’ve already headed home since they were the only ones here.

“I got my lives,” Commander Hawk meowed.

“Why does Commander Moon look like she’s half-dead?” Browntop asked pointing at the purple molly with her stubby brown paws.

“I’ve been rebuked several times by a cat who died six years ago,” Commander Moon meowed.

“It doesn’t matter as long as your heart stays bright,” Chief Duck chirped.

“Words of wisdom there,” Lucky said laughing. All of them joined in the laughter until Pigeontail’s head popped out of bushes, looking disgusted.

“See you guys,” Commander Moon meowed dashing home. Hopefully tomorrow will be better than today.

***

“Our home is looking more vibrant,” Braveleaf meowed.

“Really?” Commander Moon asked. She was still exhausted from losing all her strength, but she was hiding all that from her Campmates, even Lostleap.

Lillian was smiling widely. “Oh yes, Windglide and his pals have really outdone themselves,” she purred.

It was great that their home was looking livelier since they’ll be returning in a month. Although, Commander Moon started to scowl when she heard someone scurrying back into camp.

“Commander Moon, the dragon came back!” Trainee Blue cried.

I thought she wasn’t going to come back, Commander Moon thought. She kept her fur lying flat and gathered Stormwing, Dovetail, Foxwing, Hawkheart, Trainee Ice, Trainee Crow, Trainee Will, and Trainee Tiger to go take out the dragon.

This time the dragon wasn’t flying either. She glanced at each cat individually with interest. Ripping the strap from her neck, she laid the bag down and a couple gold pennies rolled out as well a gemstone. “Don’t be hasty, kitties, I am Cinnamon, a soldier of the Cloud Kingdom.”

“What’s the money for?” Trainee Tiger asked his gold eyes shining.

“You see, I don’t have any corpses, so I stole some gold and gemstones from my Queen,” explained Cinnamon. “What kind of weapons you got?”

“We only use our claws,” Commander Moon meowed.

“Nothing with lightning?” Cinnamon asked.

“We weren’t responsible for that?” Hawkheart told the ruby colored Dragon.

Cinnamon looked bewildered. “You aren’t serious, right? You shocked me, remember? It was a day or so ago.”

Why wasn’t she listening? Commander Moon and her Campmates just gave each other looks. “I do wish that I had opposable thumbs to snap my fingers and cause lightning strikes or mass destruction,” she joked.

Cinnamon didn’t take it as a joke. “Sweet baby suns, I could use something like that! My kingdom is getting their tails beat by Queen Seaweed’s stupid seahorses!”

“Clearly you didn’t see it as a joke,” a voice said. Commander Moon and the others gasped to see the same teenager having his arms crossed and his hood was off as well. “Honestly, I’ve seen others who barely have any smarts to begin with that could see through that joke.”

“What are you?” Cinnamon asked. “You look like you come from the jungle. Are you a monkey?”

“No,” he said. “I’m the one who caused the lightning.”

“Oh, I was so hoping it was these cool cats,” Cinnamon roared poking Dovetail’s nose.

The teenager summoned his boomerangs. “For someone as strong as you, you are oblivious,” he pointed out.

Noticing the electrical weaponry, Cinnamon hopped on all fours and spread her wings out. “I’m not hurting anybody, unless you’re a Wave Dragon then you’ll be dead where you stand,” she argued.

Commander Moon and her patrol watched as the teenager took out a piece of paper. “Cinnamon, a very popular soldier in the Cloud Kingdom, wants every weapon that has been created on the planet,” the teenager went on.

“How do you know that?!” Cinnamon growled.

“I’ve been given orders to destroy you,” the teenager said. “I personally hold nothing against you.”

“You must have if you’re willing to kill her!” Foxwing howled. His fur was all bushed out.

“Don’t worry, Cinnamon, you sound like a wonderful dragon to know,” the teenager said walking closer. “But my own friends matter more!” He charged at the ruby colored Flareflame Dragon.

“Stay back!” Cinnamon snapped her jaws open and a fireball was forming in her mouth. The teenager didn’t seem to stop as he hopped in the air and summoned electric sparks in his hands.

Stormwing stepped in front of Commander Moon. “We should stop them! Her fireball could end up destroying this forest as we know it!”

Commander Moon nodded and signaled all of them to follow. The Trainees assembled to take down the teenager while the Guardians would work on forcing Cinnamon’s jaws to shut. Dovetail stabbed her claws in Cinnamon’s tail to keep her in place while Hawkheart hopped on her back with Commander Moon and Stormwing following.

As they got to her head, Hawkheart slammed his paws on her upper jaw and Stormwing hopped high enough to bash his head against her lower jaw. Commander Moon pounced off and threw herself into the teenager who almost fell on top of the Trainees who dragged him down grabbing onto his boots. Tingling sensation crawled through her spine and Commander Moon realized that the teenager’s boomerang hit her fur.

Commander Moon shrieked as she sparked up before falling to the ground. The teenager picked her up. “What were you thinking?”

“I rather lose a life than have the whole Darkfall burn in flames,” Commander Moon mewed coughing up a puff of smoke. The teenager gave her a weird look but dropped her when Cinnamon flew off.

“Get back!” He growled but the whole patrol stepped in front of him.

“Get back, human,” Trainee Tiger hissed.

He stepped back. He then places a hand on his forehead. “Fine, you win, I hope you die…in a fire!” He kept a dark glare as the shadows consumed him before he was gone completely.

Hawkheart closed his eyes. “First, he helps, now he wants us dead,” he muttered. “Teenagers and their angst.”

Commander Moon gazed into the distance. Who are you, kid, and who’s side are you really on?