AN: Finally I updated! I tried not to take so long this time since Thanksgiving is approaching. Anyways here is the first chapter of Rising Sun, and it's not my best writing :( But at least it's finished, and you get to enjoy another chapter. Thanks to my four reviewers, WildCroconaw, Glowmist, Silverwind1313 and leafpool-a guest for reviewing ^^


Chapter One

A day had passed since the Gathering. The snow had melted away, and warm newleaf air blew into the valley.

Sunstorm welcomed the warmth and began to wash her unkempt fur. She remembered having to live in ThunderClan while they discovered who'd killed Batwing. Memories of finding out that Thornclaw was a murderer coursed through her mind. They were bittersweet memories, because Thornclaw was her kin. However she knew that he was a danger to the Clans, and in the end he had to be exiled by Bramblestar. No cat knew where Thornclaw had gone, nor did they seem to care.

Now she was wandering around camp, thinking of the chores that had to be done. With no apprentice to train she had the day to herself. Ravenheart was busy grooming his fur while Bloomtail bragged about the prey she had caught earlier today. Sunstorm rolled her eyes and thought of how similar Bloomtail was to Firestorm, her former mentor.

It scares me to think that they are so similar, she thought.

"Sunstorm, why don't you do something useful like join the border patrol?" Her ears flattened when Eaglefeather bounded forward. The deputy was always trying to keep the Clan busy after what had happened to Batwing. No cat wanted to admit that they were vulnerable out in such an open camp.

"Shouldn't we be putting up barriers around the camp?" she asked when his eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "That way cats can't come at us from above. The only way in would be through a small entrance near Sagestar's den." She inclined her muzzle to where Sagestar was sleeping. His den was located under the protection of a fallen log. A pile of branches had been moved towards the center of the camp where he held Clan meetings.

"That sounds like a wise idea, but we can't do anything unless Sagestar tells us to," Eaglefeather growled. "You can join Dawnwind, Crowfeather and Fawnpelt for the next patrol."

The golden tabby simply shrugged and stalked away after he was finished speaking. There was no point in arguing, especially after everything that had happened in the past couple of moons. She ducked her head in embarrassment when she spotted Dawnwind sitting beside Fawnpelt. The black she-cat had forgiven her, to a point.

Now Dawnwind was simply ignoring her when she sat beside Crowfeather. The dark gray tom seemed to notice the tension building between them, and shifted uncomfortably.

"We should get going," he grunted after getting to his paws.

All four of them made their way out of camp. Sunstorm was thankful to stretch out her muzzles as she bounded after them. Dawnwind remained almost glued to Fawnpelt's side as the former queen stepped in behind Crowfeather. Fawnpelt looked pleased to get out of camp after being stuck inside for so many moons.

"Which border are we patrolling?" Sunstorm asked as she bounded past them to reach Crowfeather. Despite their age differences Crowfeather was leading the patrol. Dawnwind didn't seem to mind as she kept quiet about it.

"The FlameClan border," Crowfeather replied. "Eaglefeather wanted to make sure there were no cats at the border after everything that happened." Sunstorm's ears flattened at the thought of her brother turning against the Clans.

I keep forgetting that he's now a leader, she reminded herself. He needs to think about what is best for his Clan. I would do the same to keep SkyClan safe from harm.

Sunstorm wasn't surprised when they came across a border patrol from FlameClan as they reached it. Her ears pricked forward as she recognized Foxleap and Snowstorm. The other warriors were Redwhisker and a pretty silver and gray tabby known as Willowlight. Beside Redwhisker was what she guessed was her new apprentice, Pouncepaw.

"What are you doing so close to the border?" Redwhisker demanded when her fur bristled with hostility.

"We are patrolling the border, as are you," Crowfeather replied with a dip of his head. Sunstorm could tell that he was struggling to control his temper. There was no need for the formal gesture, but it seemed to calm Redwhisker's anger.

"It's been a while since the Gathering, how is the prey running?" Willowlight mewed in her usual calm voice.

"It keeps us fit and strong enough to defend the borders," Dawnwind growled.

With a roll of her eyes Sunstorm realized that this could erupt into a battle. The last thing she wanted was to start a battle so soon after the Gathering. It seemed that Foxleap had read her thoughts, because he pushed his way forward and cuffed Redwhisker over the ears.

"Come on, we should get back," he meowed.

Relief washed over Sunstorm when all of them left. Redwhisker sent a final glare over her shoulder before bounding forward. Sunstorm wasn't surprised to see Pouncepaw glaring at them as he left. Apprentices often followed their mentor's example, and Pouncepaw wasn't an exception to that logic.

"I'm glad a fight didn't break out," Fawnpelt murmured with a shudder. "I only just got out of the nursery."

"We should report this to Sagestar," Dawnwind added. "Redwhisker was itching for a fight." She glared at Sunstorm as if to challenge her, but Sunstorm remained icily silent throughout their exchange. She knew that one wrong word would have caused a fight to break out. Fawnpelt was right - the Clan didn't need a fight right now.

Her shoulders sagged slightly when she followed them back to camp with little trouble. Crowfeather seemed more eager to get back now than ever, especially with the news he had to share with Sagestar. Reports like these always got the Clan excited.

Once they were back at camp Sunstorm felt more relieved than ever. The tension that had surrounded the patrol seemed to evaporate after their encounter with the FlameClan warriors. If a fight were to ever break out she knew that they would fight alongside each other like they were good friends.

"What happened to you four?" Sagestar greeted them with a question when they reached him.

"We came across a couple of FlameClan warriors," Dawnwind explained. Her voice was filled with annoyance as her tail twitched. "Redwhisker was itching for a fight."

"Did a fight break out?" Sagestar tilted his head to one side. When Dawnwind shook her head, Sagestar closed his eyes. "Then I believe there is nothing to worry about," he meowed. "Let us hope that this peace continues."

Sunstorm nodded in agreement. She couldn't help but think that after everything the Clans went through they deserved a few moons of peace. The patrol broke apart and returned to what they had been doing before they left. Crowfeather trotted over to where Leafpool was sharing a blackbird with Thistletail. Leafpool purred and rubbed her muzzle against Crowfeather's in their typical greeting.

I'm glad Leafpool and Crowfeather had a chance to make up, Sunstorm thought as she watched them. She remembered seeing them for the first time in her visions. Crowfeather had fled from the Clans soon after Leafpool was banished by Bramblestar. The pair had met up soon after and led SkyClan back to the lake. After that there was no telling what their story had in the future.

She padded towards the fresh-kill pile and picked a mouse, her favorite choice. She wasn't surprised to find herself eating alone once again. Cedarclaw was busy training Yellowpaw, one of the Clan's newest apprentices. She didn't blame him for wanting to prove himself, but she missed his company.

Once the mouse was finished she buried the bones and reached her nest in the warrior's den. Dusk had settled around them by the time the patrol returned. Wariness crept over Sunstorm as she curled up in her nest. With everything that was going on around the Clans, she couldn't help feeling restless. Something told her that this was only the beginning of something far greater.

. . .

A clearing stretched out before the SkyClan cats as they crept out of their dens. Tall trees towered above them, but their branches were filled with freshly grown leaves. The sky was a pale blue. White clouds stretched around the sun that bathed the clearing with warmth.

"What are we going to do without our deputy?" demanded a familiar black cat with pale blue eyes.

"There is always a deputy to be chosen before moonhigh," meowed a light brown tabby. Her amber eyes flashed with anxiety as she looked towards the fallen log where Sagestar slept.

"The sun has risen and he has not chosen a deputy yet!" another cat wailed. "SkyClan is doomed!"

"No, the rising sun is a sign," the dark brown tom with tabby markings told them. "We already know who our deputy is. StarClan has spoken."


AN: I kind of made that vision obvious didn't I? Oh well, at least it was written. Don't forget to leave a review when you stop by!