(This story was inspired by the author wolveswolvesandmorewolves)

Prologue

A thundering storm crashed overhead as Stormstar heaved in her den, rain pouring down outside.

"Push, Stormstar, push!" urged Lightfang, the medicine cat. "Tigerpaw, I need some borage and a stick!" she ordered her apprentice firmly.

Stormstar was sobbing because of the pain now, tears streaming down her face from the pressure and agony of kitting.

"You're almost there," soothed Lightfang as Tigerpaw returned with the needed herbs.

"Here," meowed Tigerpaw, putting the stick in Stormstar's jaws. "Bite down hard on this whenever you're about to scream."

The stick cracked and splintered as Stormstar bit down hard on it. A gray kit that looked just like her mother slithered out, and landed in the soft moss, crawling blindly to her mother's soft belly for food and warmth.

Stormstar spat the bitter stick out, blinking gratefully at the medicine cat and her apprentice.

"You're all done," mewed Tigerpaw, dipping his head to his leader.

"Just one?!" hissed Stormstar. "But then who will be the deputy when she's leader? My brother is the deputy."

"But," warned Tigerpaw. "If you fall while he's deputy, then your kit won't get to be leader until he's dead."

Stormstar broke into laughter, Lightfang joining in.

"I think you've forgotten, Tigerpaw," wheezed Stormstar, an amused twinkle in her dark blue eyes. "Once my kit is old enough to become leader, then my brother, Liontooth, will be kicked out of his position as deputy. Of course, since my kit doesn't have a sibling, he'll remain deputy. But if I fall, he becomes leader, and once my kit is leader, his nine lives are drained from him, but not given to my kit. Oh, no, she gets her own."

Tigerpaw blinked several times in confusion.

"Our society is baffling," he muttered, turning his dark tabby head away.

"ThunderClan always finds a way to thrive, despite our confusing society," explained Lightfang. "I'd like to see what it would be like for us and the other Clans if it fell."

Tigerpaw looked at the sibling-less kit and sighed. "No siblings equals a non-royal deputy."

Stormstar finally noticed her kit and looked down at her with disgust.

"She's probably the reason she doesn't have any siblings," spat Stormstar pretending to heave. "I won't name her."

Tigerpaw and Lightfang gasped, knowing what would happen to the kit when it was time for her to be apprenticed.

"I know those are the rules," began Lightfang, her head bent in sorrow and her misty-blue eyes gleaming with solemnity, "but... killing kits that were born to the leader and have no siblings just because they are sibling-less is just... cruel. StarClan is cruel..."

The howling wind of the storm outside carried a faint silence on it as thunder boomed and lightning crashed overhead. Stormstar pushed her suckling kit away to Lightfang.

"Feed it only just a little milk each day," the heartless leader demanded coldly. "Nightfrost can take care of it."

Lightfang motioned for Tigerpaw to carry the kit away so she could speak with Stormstar.

"Look," murmured the light ginger medicine cat with concern for the kit. "I know StarClan and the other Clans agreed to have a 'new' societey, but don't you think it's getting a little out of paw?"

Stormstar snorted, her dark blue eyes glaring at Lightfang hotly; she was enraged.

"Never!" she hissed. "Get out of my den."

Lightfang sighed inwardly, stalking out of the leader's den and out into the storm.

"She's beautiful," she heard Nightfrost say, and Lightfang smiled. At least there were three cats in the Clan who cared about Stormstar's nameless kit.

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