Floppyear was
old. While her body no longer felt its age - if she felt as old as she was, she would surely turn to dust in moments! - her mind remembered how long ago it had been since she felt her paws on the ground. All of her kin, older and younger, were in SunClan. Any trace of Floppyear's bloodline had died with the drought, but she suspected that the cats on the mountain now, wouldn't even know to mourn the loss. Her name or her stories may not even be a tale the elders would remember, but Floppyear was determined in death as she was in life, to stay
relevant.
She listened to the medicine cat speak and begin the ceremony and then to the cats that followed - Floppyear honestly hadn't bothered to learn new names... save for the little ones. It would be heartless not to get to know Floodkit, Pebblekit, Emberkit and Blazekit... though only a few were present for this occasion. She supposed with her age, she ought to give Tigersnarl a life that amounted to "something something follow tradition" but listening to the cats that came before her... selflessness, confidence, acceptance... she couldn't help but tilt her head to the stars, as though she were rolling her eyes.
As the SunClan tomcat was stepping away, Floppyear came forward briskly, standing before him.
"
My name is Floppyear and I was born when the trees on your mountain were mere saplings." She told the tabby tomcat. "
My story may not be carried on the tongues of your elders any longer, but that doesn't mean it'll be the same for you..." She could give him a life towards legacies, or maybe one of perseverance, but those felt so stuffy. Yes, she'd made her choice, it was best to give him the life of... "
Common sense is what I am passing to you with this gift, youngster. Yes, the Clan is important and yes, now you'll have more lives than those of your kin, HOWEVER," Her tone became grandmothery and sharp. "
These are merely personality traits! It's all well and good to be selfless and confident and accepting, but you're going to actually need some manner of intelligence to keep your Clanmates and yourself, out of danger. Use your head, Tigersnarl, and survive the challenges that come your way."
With that, Floppyear pressed her nose to the new MountainClan leader. In the span of seconds, he would see a vision of the mountain, as Floppyear had seen it when she was alive, the trees small and the river rushing through. Quickly, the scenery began to change, trees growing, falling, sprouting anew, the river flooding, freezing and drying up altogether and cats... so many cats, moving around the clan's territory, until he finally saw the MountainClan territory that he knew so well, and that he would wake to, when his ceremony was complete.
Pulling away, Floppyear directed her blind gaze towards Tigersnarl’s eyes.
"
MountainClan has survived this long. May it continue to survive under your watch." She told the new leader, before turning and padding away to her original spot, to watch the rest of the ceremony play out. Glancing at the cats who had already gone and the ones who had yet to, she raised her head at them as though to challenge them to badmouth the life she'd given the new leader.