MagiStream

SunClan

Irispelt's wish came true. A flicker of a shrew caught her focus. I'm gonna get you... she thought, with an inward smile. She jumped, and bit the shrew, swiftly killing it. She proudly took her shrew in her jaws, and headed back to camp.

Fernpaw thought. "No, they haven't done anything to us, but they have done things to our leader probably, and our ancestors. So, we fight for them." she meowed.

Dawnpetal turned the corner to go into her den, smacking into Sunstar. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she mewed. "My thoughts, were... on other things." she stepped past the leader, into the sickly smelling den.

NightClan

Tigerpaw smiled, despite the pain. "Well, we found a badger on patrol. Yes, yes, and my paw got twisted." she paused. "Did I answer that in order?"

SunClan

Greenfern placed the mouse on the fresh-kill pile and padded to the warrior's den, where she lay down in one of the few spots where snow had been cleared, in a pool of watery sunlight.

Crookedpaw thought for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose so," he meowed. His eyes brightened with amusement from his previously gloomy state as he added, "Besides, I wouldn't mind beating that annoying little Rabbitpaw's tail back to her own territory."

Sunstar stared into the den where Honeysuckle lay, sucking in a low breath as she tried to calm herself. "She's not going to get better, is she?" Sunstar asked, her grief for her friend clear in her eyes as she looked at Dawnpetal.

NightClan

Graypaw nodded eagerly. "Yes, you did! What did it look like? I've heard it kinda looks like Aldertail when he's hungry." She grinned up at Tigerpaw.

SunClan

Irispelt walked in almost right after Greenfern. She saw the meager prey pile, and set hers on it, sighing as she realized how scrawny it was.

Fernpaw purred. "Don't leave out... what was it? Skypaw?" she smiled. "Way too optimistic. Someone needs to give her a lesson." she swiped a paw in midair.

Dawnpetal thought. "That's what I've been thinking on." she paused. "And... no. She is not going to get better." Dawnpetal blinked away the threatening tears.

NightClan

Tigerpaw purred loudly. "You know, almost! But, it was bigger..." she sighed. "And... has a longer muzzle. And, black eyes that had no soul." Tigerpaw's mew was a whisper now. Her fur was slightly raised from the memory, and her paw began to throb again.

SunClan

Greenfern began lapping at her pelt, cleaning it of the newly clinging snow.

Crookedpaw purred in amusement. "Way too optimistic. We need to give her a lesson!" He grinned at his Clanmate, his spirits returned to their usual.

Sunstar let out a small gasp, despite having steeled herself for the question and this answer the entire day. She clenched her teeth together to hold back a yowl of despair, and bowed her head, taking in slow breaths. "Okay," she hissed through her teeth. "I need to think about... Who will make a good deputy..." With that, she stared at her deputy, feeling as though every cat in the Dark Forest were clawing at her heart, then turned and staggered from the medicine cat's den to her own.

NightClan

Graypaw felt the fur along her own spine rise. Her mouth had unconsciously dropped open, and she said, somewhat hesitantly, "Wow... Do you think it came from the Dark Forest?"

SunClan

Fernpaw purred at the thought, and padded into the camp. "Woah" she meowed as she saw Sunstar stalking out of the medicine cat den. "She looks tense."

Dawnpetal bowed her head and let Sunstar through.

NightClan

Tigerpaw purred. "No silly, it was just a big old badger!" in a more hushed mew, she added. "Animals from the dark forest are downright evil, and will spill lies into your head. While as badgers can't even speak!" she mewed happily.

SunClan

Crookedpaw's eyebrows raised. "Yeah..." He glanced down at Fernpaw and said in a low voice, "Well, Dawnpetal said that Honeysuckle's sick... I bet it has something to do with that." A sudden thought occured to him, and he blinked. "You don't think she's dying, do you?"

Sunstar walked across the clearing, her fur standing on end as she slid into her den. You're okay, Sunstar. She sat down, staring at the ground with wide, unseeing eyes, as she waited for her heart to stop pounding in panic. After several moments, when nothing had happened, she got to her paws and began pacing back and forth. Who would make a good deputy? she asked herself, eyes narrowed.

NightClan

"Ohhh...," Graypaw said, nodding. "Have you ever met a cat from the Dark Forest? I bet he'd be scary! Especially if it was Gin-" She cut herself off, eyes growing wide as she let out a small squeak of fear. "Um, that one cat."

SunClan

Fernpaw thought for a moment, her brow furrowed as she cleaned off her tail. Between licks, she raised her head. "I don't know. It's possible that's why Sunstar looked so... tense." she mewed softly.

NightClan

Tigerpaw nodded. "But don't worry, Graypaw, everything's gonna be fine." she meowed. "Frozenwhisker wants me to get my rest, so I'm gonna go take a nap. Goodbye!" Tigerpaw waved her tail in farewell, and padded to her den. There, she settled comfortably in the moss, and fell asleep quickly.

SunClan

"Well, yeah. Wouldn't you be?" Crookedpaw asked, staring at the medicine cat's den. "Softfur used to say that Honeysuckle was Sunstar's old mentor. They were friends even before the dark times, and since they both survived, they were even closer because of it."

Sunstar ran through the cats of the Clan in her mind. Raincloud? No, I need someone with more fire. Maybe Beargrowl? She nodded slightly to herself, seeming to come to a decision, then stopped, frowning again. He won't do, he's too stubborn. Someone that will actually follow my orders would be good. Again, she ran through the cats of her Clan, imagining each face by her side at a time. Some of them were a joke to her, like Beesting or Fireclaw, who she knew would never be deputy or leader material. Then her eyes widened. "Of course!" she said out loud, then closed her jaws around the name. Irispelt.

NightClan

"Okay," Graypaw said, watching Tigerpaw go. She looked around the clearing, then let out a small sigh. "When am I gonna train?" she mewed out loud, not really directing it at anyone.

SunClan

Fernpaw nodded sadly. "I never heard that before." she admitted softly. "But, I believe it." she looked across the clearing, to where she saw Sunstar disappear into her den. "Poor Sunstar." Fernpaw lowered her gaze, and sat besides Crookedpaw.

NightClan

Tigerpaw sighed, nestled in the soft green fur. The last thing she thought before she went to sleep was; I am going to be the best warrior this clan has ever seen.

SunClan

Crookedpaw laid down next to Fernpaw and began grooming his own pelt, cleaning it of the dust from the training area. "Who do you think will be deputy next?" he asked, glancing at Fernpaw out of the corner of his eye. "From the way Sunstar looked, I don't think Honeysuckle's gonna make it."

Sunstar nodded, sealing the finality of the decision in her mind, and laid down in her nest, trying to come to grips with the idea of her first deputy's death. You'll make it through, Sunstar. You're not even the one that's dying here. She'll be going to StarClan, and she'll be happier there, instead of down here, dying slowly from some sickness that can't be helped. She would want you to move on.

NightClan

Graypaw let out a slow sigh and turned around, looking for something to do. Her ears pricked as she saw her sister. Crouching to the ground, the gray tabby slinked forward, her eyes trained on the prize, Moonpaw's tail-tip. Wiggling her hindquarters, gathering power, Graypaw leaped forward, landing squarely on Moonpaw's tail. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed.