Harestar's body quivered as he consumed the poisoned rabbit, but it was all too late to do anything. Whiteleaf, the medicine cat, was too late. Harestar was on his last life, and he was having trouble clinging on to it.

Shimmertail let out a terrified shriek and rushed towards him, being the leader's mate. Her belly was swollen with his kits. "Harestar! You can't go now! Our kits!" She screamed, but Harestar didn't respond – He couldn't. His gaze clouded over with death, and he grew still.

Wails of horror and grief spread throughout WindClan, and the deputy, Fallensnow, stood rigidly on the Rabbit Rock. Everyone in the Clan knew that the deputy had been in love with Harestar, and he had loved her and not Shimmertail, but she had chosen being deputy over having his kits.

"WindClan! Tonight I go to the Moonstone to get my nine lives – Tonight you grieve our leader!" She whimpered loudly, tears flowing down her pastel-colored cheeks. She nodded to Whiteleaf, and they got prepared to leave – But then wails of a mother going into labor sounded from the nursery.

Hours later, Flowerspirit heaved out her last kit. A muscular dark brown tom, a lithe white she-cat, and a lilac tortoiseshell tom. Yes, a rare male tortoiseshell. Unease filled the Clan – Harestar had just died, and Fallensnow was just about to get her nine lives, and Flowerspirit gave birth?

"It's an omen." Whiteleaf whispered, and she ushered Fallensnow into the leaders' den. "The birthing – It stopped you from going to get your nine lives. Fallensnow, you're not meant to be leader."

"Nonsense!" She spat, and began to pad to the Moonstone. She returned next morning, miserable. She had not received her nine lives, just as Whiteleaf predicted. But she couldn't tell the Clan.

"Fallenstar! Fallenstar!" The Clan cheered, but all she could think of was that Flowerspirit's kits were a curse.