So... this chapter is very short. Sorry! I got tired with it's repetition, and I'm sure you'll be too by the end of it. ^.^

Lightkit, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I read that Avatar the show is done. Forever. -sob- BUT on the plus side they're making a live-action movie! But on the minus side, Jesse McCartney is going to play my beloved Zuko. -double sob-

Hollyleaf's head reeled with shock; her as deputy? How could Firestar possibly think that a new warrior like herself could ever take the place of Brambleclaw.

Mousefur echoed her thoughts. "Hollyleaf?" she repeated incredulously. "She just became a mentor not even a moon ago!"

"What are you playing at, Firestar?" Dustpelt demanded. "There are plenty more capable senior warriors to choose a deputy from." He narrowed his eyes.

Firestar dipped his head. "That may be, but she has shown great bravery and loyalty to ThunderClan. I believe that she will be a wonderful deputy."

Cloudtail stood. "I have seen Hollyleaf's loyalty," he mewed. "But I think there are many cats that could be more… knowledgeable than her." He flicked his ears uncomfortably. "What about Thornclaw?" he went on, "Or Dustpelt? Or…"

"No." Firestar's voice was firm. "I have chosen the new deputy, and it is your duty to accept her." He turned to look at Hollyleaf for the first time. "I would like to speak with you in my den, Hollyleaf."

She could feel the stares of her Clanmates scorching her pelt. "Y-yes Firestar," she stammered. She turned to look at Lionblaze, who was seated beside her. "I… I guess I'll see you later."

Her brother said nothing, only stared at her with wide amber eyes. Cinderheart beside him mewed, "I'm… sure you'll be a great deputy, Hollyleaf," but her voice sounded strange, not like herself.

"Thanks." Hollyleaf's voice was hollow. She picked her way through the crowd, no cat calling her name like at a normal deputy ceremony. The silence hung over the camp like a thick, stifling pelt. As she climbed the ledges leading to the leader's den, a stone slipped off the top step, crashing to the camp floor with a horrible clatter.

She wanted to turn to her Clanmates, to tell them that she would try her hardest to be the best deputy that she could be, but the words wouldn't come. She didn't even turn to look the Clan in the eye before she walked into the cool darkness of Firestar's den.

The ThunderClan leader was seated on his bed of moss, front paws crossed in front of him, and an unreadable expression in his green eyes. He dipped his head. "My deputy," he greeted calmly.

"Why did you make me deputy?" Hollyleaf asked, getting right to the point.

Firestar looked past her over her shoulder. "That didn't go well, did it?" he murmured, totally ignoring her question. "Your father's ceremony didn't go very well, either." He brought his gaze back to rest on her. "Like father, like daughter."

Hollyleaf gritted her teeth to keep from yowling in frustration. He's not my father! she railed silently. To Firestar she repeated, "Why did you make me deputy?"

Firestar narrowed his eyes in thought. "I made you deputy to challenge you," he said calmly.

"To challenge me?" she echoed.

"Yes. I thought you would be able to do it, and do it well, so I picked you to see if you could."

"That's not a good enough reason!" she burst out. "You pick a deputy that you know can do a good job!" She flipped through every memory she had about the warrior code, trying to find a way that Firestar couldn't be right, and came up with nothing.

He was still watching her with his piercing gaze. "I don't know if you know the story of how I was chosen deputy," he began, his words slow and careful. "I'm sure you heard stories about Bluestar, the leader before me?"

"Of course!" she said scornfully, still upset at him. "Every kit hears tales of her bravery in leading the dog pack away."

He dipped his head. "When she picked me as deputy, there were many warriors better suited to the job," he explained. "Whitestorm, for example. Sorreltail's father," he added, seeing the confused look on her face. "He was my first deputy… then Graystripe."

"Why didn't you choose Graystripe instead of me?" she asked, desperate for answers.

"I didn't choose Graystripe because he already turned down the position."

Hollyleaf dropped her jaws in shock. Graystripe refused to be deputy? "Why? He was your deputy before, why not now?"

Firestar's eyes clouded with memories. Hollyleaf waited patiently while the old cat reminisced. When the silence stretched for several heartbeats, she cleared her throat. Firestar's eyes focused, and he snapped his gaze to hers.

"Graystripe has kits and a mate again," he whispered, looking at the ground. "He doesn't want… to be separated from them." He looked up at her. "You've always seemed to be the most ambitious of your littermates. I thought that you would want this." He sounded confused by her lack of enthusiasm. "Don't you want to be leader after me?"

Hollyleaf looked down at her paws. I want to be leader, she thought, But I'm not sure of this. It doesn't feel right.Firestar was offering her a chance to be what she had dreamed of being since she was a kit in the nursery. She could be leader, to be in charge of the Clan, to have all that she ever wanted. I want it… a voice whispered in the depths of her mind.

"Okay, Firestar. I'll be your deputy." Even to herself, she sounded false.

The ThunderClan leader looked unsurprised, as if he already knew that she would eventually agree. "Great," he mewed. "For your first task, I want you to go put together the dawn patrol."

She dipped her head. "Of course," she murmured. She turned and padded out of the den, extremely relieved to see that most of the Clan had seemingly lost interest and wandered off. Only four cats remained: Lionblaze and Cinderheart sitting together, and Jayfeather and Leafpool closer to the medicine den. Leafpool's ears were tilted towards the den for any noise from the wounded Brambleclaw.

Leafpool was the first to leap up to greet her. "Deputy of the whole Clan!" she said astonished. "I'm so proud of you, Hollyleaf!"

"Thanks." Hollyleaf was embarrassed by the medicine cat's praise. "I don't know why Firestar picked me."

"Neither do I," Jayfeather mewed dryly. "He must be losing it to appoint a new mentor as deputy."

Leafpool rounded on her apprentice. "Show some respect for Hollyleaf, Jayfeather!" she hissed. "She's going to lead the Clan one day!"

Hollyleaf jumped in. "Leafpool, I-" but was cut off by Lionblaze.

"She's going to do fine. I don't know why some cats don't think so." His voice was empty-sounding, as if he didn't believe his own words. He heaved himself to his paws. "I'm going to get some fresh-kill," he announced. "See you." Without another word, he padded away.

Cinderheart watched him go, concern in her blue eyes. "I'd better go see if he's okay," she mewed worriedly. Turning to Hollyleaf, she said, "I think you're going to well."

Hollyleaf dipped her head to her friend. "Thanks," she whispered.

The tabby bounded over to Lionblaze, who was staring into the empty fresh-kill pit as if he saw prey there.

Jayfeather flicked his tail down Hollyleaf's flank. "Congratulations," he grumbled. "May StarClan guide your path." He moved his head in Leafpool's direction, his sightless eyes flickering with some concealed thought. "I'm going to check on Brambleclaw. Will you show me how to make that poultice again?"

Leafpool mewed, "Of course!" Turning back to Hollyleaf, the medicine cat said, "You'll do a great job!" before padding away with Jayfeather back to their den.

Hollyleaf stood as if rooted to the ground. The words of encouragement had ceased to have meaning in her mind; the repetition made the horrible feeling in Hollyleaf's belly worsen. I never realized it would be like this. Whenever she had dreamt of this day, her Clanmates had been warm and proud of her, not shocked or angry with her appointment. She thought back to what Jayfeather had said. He must be losing it to appoint a new mentor as deputy. He's right, she thought. Firestar must have ulterior motives to have chosen such a young and inexperienced warrior such as her.

She shook her head, clearing away the negative thoughts. Firestar thinks I can do this, she reassured herself. I better prove him right! Glancing around, she saw Thornclaw and Hazeltail lingering in front of the warriors' den. Padding up to them, she said, "Thornclaw, I want you to lead the dawn patrol." She flicked her ears to Hazeltail. "Take her, Sandstorm, and Foxpaw." Her voice was awkward-sounding, but the order was clear.

The tabby warrior looked at Hollyleaf for a long time. "Brackenfur would have been proud of you," he said stiffly.

The mention of her former mentor never failed to make a wave of sadness wash over her. She dipped her head, a lump in her throat.

But Thornclaw wasn't finished. "He would have been proud of you," he went on, "but that doesn't mean I am." He narrowed his eyes. "I won't forget what happened last time your orders were followed."

Hollyleaf sucked in an astonished breath as she grasped his meaning. He was blaming her for the death of Brackenfur! "That wasn't my fault," she spat.

The tabby warrior flicked his ears. "I was there. I know what happened." He half-turned away, then locked his gaze with hers. "It's going to be a while before I trust you again."

A dull anger flooded through her. "Fine," she said, her voice cold. "Go tell Sandstorm about the patrol… please."

Thornclaw walked away, leaving Hollyleaf alone with Hazeltail. "That was low," the gray-and-white she-cat was saying. "Blaming you like that. It was a coincidence that WindClan was there."

Hollyleaf longed to agree with her, but something held her back. Guilt. She blamed herself for Brackenfur's death; it hurt to hear the words coming from another cat. "He's right," she whispered. "But I will work to get his trust back."

Turning away from Hazeltail, Hollyleaf padded wearily to the warriors' den. The cool darkness of the den soothed her whirling thoughts, making it easier for her to breathe.

Deputy of the Clan…The words echoed through her head. She closed her eyes hard, willing herself to think of something, anything, other than the ordeal ahead of her. Letting loose a long sigh, she shifted deeper into the moss of her nest, comforted by it's familiar scent. She wished for the first time in her life to be like Lionblaze. She was jealous of the relationship that he had with Cinderheart. The two of them could help the other, comforting the other just their presence.

Pushing away her melancholy thoughts, she shifted in her nest, trying to get comfortable. A pang of dismay coursed through her, leaving behind a trail that chilled her. Somehow, the day of her dreams had become the worst day in her life.

Yeah... short, right? My bad, I ran out of inspiration halfway through and just winged the rest! I'm really tired of all this writing all the time, so I'm only gonna make this fic 20 chapters long. More that halfway through! Woot!

Shadow