Birth of the Modern Clans is a legend that explains the origins of the modern clans and how they came from the Great Clans.
Out of Character it was written by Kitsufox on 22 January 2009.
Birth of the Modern Clans
The final days of the Great Clans came when the Twolegs did. The Twolegs brought back horrible memories of the days when the hybrid beasts had chased the Great Clans from their original homes. Twolegs could kill the members of even TigerClan using their far-biting silver sticks, and did not listen when the cats of the Great Clans attempted to speak with them in an effort to make peace.
Desperate, the Leaders and Medicine Cats (for the Great Clans did not name Deputies or formally train a special apprentice for the Medicine Cat) banded together and went to Highstones. They decided they would try and seek help from StarClan. StarClan heard their appeal and bid them to go to Fourtrees on the night of the next full moon and bring the remnants of all of their clans.
When that day came it dawned foul and only grew worse as the time of the meeting drew near. There were very few cats left to gather at Fourtrees that night when the camps were left barren. They had not been there long when the first of the ancestors shimmered into being amongst the fog that loomed, the rain that fell, the wind that blew and the thunder that cracked. One of the shimmering StarClanners came to stand above all on the GreatRock and spoke out to all.
“A time of change is upon you all. Great Cats cannot survive in such a place and compete with the beasts that walk on Twolegs. A smaller and more agile cat, however, can. It shall be so. You shall be made into what you must become!” On the final word the storm suddenly gathered and swirled around the cats of TigerClan, LionClan, CheetahClan and JaguarClan while the cats of StarClan vanished into the gale.
Thunder struck and cats split. One became many.
Rain pummeled and cats split. One became many.
Wind whipped and cats split. One became many.
Shadows choked and cats split. One became many.
It did not take long for the gale to quiet. What had once been the dregs of the Great Clans was a mass of small cats. The StarClanners returned, flowing from the remnants of the breaking storm. The one who had spoken before rose again to stand before all on the GreatRock. The cats who had been the Leaders and Medicine Cats were now two cats each.
“You shall each continue to serve your clans as you have. Leaders alone before, now Leader and Deputy it shall always be!
TigerClanner! Split by Thunder!
You shall be Thunderstar and Lightningclaw of ThunderClan!
JaguarClanner! Split by Rains!
You shall be Riverstar and Ragingrapids of RiverClan!
CheetahClanner! Split by Winds!
You shall be Windstar and Swiftstrike of WindClan!
LionClanner! Split by Shadows!
You shall be Shadowstar and Shadedfur of ShadowClan!
You will gather the cats split by the force that founds your clan. You will take them to your old homes and rebuild your lives. The Twolegs will never be able to exterminate a cat too small for them to track, too swift for them to catch, and too clever for them to match wits with. Leaders, you shall name the cats of your new clans, and we shall see and support. From here on out you will always have a Deputy, to lead the clan when you cannot.
Medicine Cats! The time has come. You, too, shall have a cat to succeed you. You will train this cat as an apprentice and knowledge will no longer be lost.
LionClanner! Split by Thunder!
You shall be Farsight. Goldpaw shall follow in your pawsteps!
Go forth and heal ThunderClan!
CheetahClanner! Split by Rains!
You shall be Treeclimber. Mintpaw shall follow in your pawsteps!
Go forth and heal RiverClan!
TigerClanner! Split by Winds!
You shall be Galeclaw. Stormpaw shall follow in your pawsteps!
Go forth and heal WindClan!
JaguarClanner! Split by Shadows!
You shall be Quickstep. Snowpaw shall follow in your pawsteps!
Go forth and heal ShadowClan!”
And then, with the storm gone and the skies clear, the cats of StarClan melted away and left the new clans to gather together and split up into their homes. They began to work to establish their territories and find a balance. The four Clans of modern times were born from the remnants of the Great Clans.