Chapter Eleven: The Will of StarClan

A/N: *sniff* This is one of my saddest chapters, personally. Sorry for taking so long to update. The story will be ending soon due to lack of interest, so read and review!

Starpaw stirred. She was aware of a warm, soft weight next to her. She twisted around to see Stonepaw. He was curled up and snoring peacefully. One of his whiskers twitched.

Starpaw's dream came rushing back to her in full detail. She felt the taste of blood on her tongue and the presence of death at the battle.

Then she remembered. Stormwave, he had been a ghostly figure in her dream. Where was she? Where was her father?

It was dark, a little past moonhigh, and she couldn't see anything in the den. She limped hurriedly outside, every pawstep making her burns scream. She was intent on finding her father.

The moon shone brightly through the trees. It illuminated a solid figure with thick fluffy gray fur. Stormwave! He hadn't died after all!

She raced to see her father, but something was wrong. Why was he lying down in the middle of camp?

Stormwave lay peacefully at rest. His body was strong with the scent of herbs.

He wasn't moving.

Starpaw stuck her muzzle into her father's thick fur. It smelled all wrong, like sweet herbs and burnt fur. He was cold to the touch

It wasn't a dream. Stormwave was really dead. A choking, wailing grief rose up in Starpaw's throat. She let out a strangled screech.

Stonepaw heard and sat beside her and she leaned on his shoulder. Why, StarClan? Why did you have to take him from me?

Poolstar's voice was thick with pain. He could not help but show his sadness of the far too early death of his deputy and his best friend.

"In the terrible fire, we lost many great warriors and Clanmates. Fishclaw, Gleamingwater, Elderberry, Greynose, Flowersong, Runningbrook, Fernflower and Stormwave (Poolstar's voice shook) all perished in the flames."

All of RiverClan bent their heads or yowled in grief. Alderleaf meowed "Fishclaw!" to the morning sun, his mentor's name ringing on the still air. All cats had lost parents, mentors, sons, daughters, or dear friends.

Starpaw felt that a hole had been ripped in her heart.

She watched Stonepaw and Stripepaw call their dead mother's name to the uncaring sun. She would miss the cheerful queen. How could StarClan be so cruel?

"It is time to choose a new deputy. I say this before the body of Stormwave, so his spirit may hear and approve my choice," began Poolstar, eyes clouded.

Murmurs of anticipation rippled through the crowd. Who would Poolstar choose?

"The new deputy is… Sunspark."

The Clan was shocked. Perhaps the most surprised was Sunspark himself.

Starsky glanced at Duskfeather and saw that his face was a mask of cold hatred. She blinked and looked again but his expression was perfectly normal. Was she becoming paranoid? She watched him closely but he did nothing else strangely.

Murmurs of doubt were beginning to spread around the camp.

"He's too young!" shouted one of the senior warriors.

"He's barely finished his warrior training!" added Patchwing indignantly. "Why, back in my day, Splashstar never would have…" and began a long account about other things Splashstar would never have done.

"He hasn't trained an apprentice either!" put in Rainsplash, a usually quiet cat.

"That can be easily taken care of. It is high time for Shellkit and Tigerkit to become apprentices."

The two sister kits looked at each other with joy. Their mother Brightpetal seemed surprised.

"Tigerkit, come here."

The energetic little ginger tabby she-cat ran up to Poolstar and tripped over her own paws. Starpaw was reminded of Stormwave calling her name at her apprentice ceremony, nearly six long moons ago.

"Your mentor will be Sunspark. Shellkit!" The little brown she-cat stepped forwards shyly, a mirror image of her father Owlclaw. "Your mentor will be Maplefeather." Maplefeather looked pleased to have her first apprentice.

"Tigerpaw! Shellpaw!" Starpaw chanted the names dully with the rest of her Clan.

"Also, in honor of their hard work and courage with rescues yesterday, it is time to name four new warriors! Starpaw, Moonpaw, Stonepaw, and Stripepaw, please step forward!"

At the sound of her name, Starpaw was temporarily jolted out of her misery. Her? A warrior? She hadn't even been able to save her own father!

"Starpaw! Do you wish to serve RiverClan as a full warrior?"

Though dazed, Starpaw found herself saying "I do."

"Then from this day on, you name shall be Starsky!"

"Starsky! Starsky!"

"And what's with all this bundling of ceremonies! It's completely disrespectful!" yammered Patchwing. Maplefeather looked at him disdainfully.

Starsky stared at the proud, sympathetic faces of her gathered Clanmates blankly. Why were they cheering her? She was a failure.

Destroy Talonshard, or all that you see will come to pass. You have been warned, Starsky.

She could not afford to fail again. She had to succeed, to save her Clan.

"Moonpaw, please step forward…"

"You're beautiful, Starsky," whispered Stonepaw

What?! thought Starsky, even more confused. Was he joking?

"… then from this day forth, your name will be Moonshadow!"

"Moonshadow! Moonshadow!" Head spinning, Starsky chanted her brother's new name. She purred. We're finally warriors together!

She watched Stonepaw as he got his warrior name.

"From now on, your name will be Stoneflight!" exclaimed Poolstar.

The Clan, and Starsky, chanted Stoneflight's new name. Starsky wondered if Stoneflight had really meant what he said.

Stripepaw was named Stripetail, and every cat chanted their new names. "Tigerpaw! Shellpaw! Starsky! Moonshadow! Stoneflight! Stripetail!"

Poolstar announced that tomorrow was the full moon, and therefore the next gathering. "Sunspark and I will bring Duskfeather, Starsky, Moonshadow, Coalfoot, Icepaw, and Nightpaw." It would be Starsky's third Gathering, her first as a warrior. She never really liked the Gatherings; it felt so strange to amiably chat with enemies you might fight in the next moon. Perhaps she'd get a chance to interrogate Stoneflight after the Gathering though.

The midnight vigil was exhausting. Starsky's mind was bursting with questions, but she was not allowed to speak. She alternated with Moonshadow between standing guard for the Clan and grieving for her father. With her nose buried in Stormwave's fluffy fur, she pondered why StarClan had allowed the great fire to happen and if Stoneflight was serious. While on guard, she sat warily next to Stoneflight and watched for any signs of teasing but his manner was perfectly calm.

Poolstar came to grieve for his deputy and one of his closest friends. Almost every cat in the Clan came to grieve for Stormwave, but not Duskfeather. Starsky watched with slitted eyes as he stopped near every group to offer his condolences and share memories. As he passed Stormwave's body, he glanced at Starsky. He said nothing and walked over to Fernflower's body. He began to share stories with Stripetail, Stoneflight, and all of Fernflower's closest friends about Fernflower and her sister, his dead mate.

Starsky watched him but said nothing.

Starsky yawned. The sun was beginning to creep through the silvery clouds as her first full day as a warrior began.

"It's okay, you're free to talk now," mewed Pinetail warmly. "Why don't you get some rest? You've had a long night and the Gathering's tonight too."

Without thinking, the four new warriors headed to the apprentice's den.

"Aren't you four warriors now?" mewed Nightpaw teasingly. Starsky looked into Nightpaw's eyes and realized that she saw a stranger. She'd left her old friend behind. I was too wrapped up in my own little struggles and I ignored Nightpaw. Who knows if I'll ever get to know her again?

Starsky stumbled sleepily to the warriors' den, but under the exhaustion she felt a pang of sadness. "Hey wait, Nightpaw! Icepaw! Do you want to come fishing with me and Moonshadow at sunhigh?" she asked. "If you want to I'll ask Sunspark," she added as an afterthought. She still wasn't used to the idea of Sunspark as deputy. He was only a few moons older than her, after all!

"Well, um, sure," said Nightpaw, surprised by her old friend's invitation. "Do you want to go, Icepaw?" she asked her sister.

"I guess so," muttered Icepaw carelessly then stalked off.

"Um, I can ask Sunspark for you, if you want…" said Nightpaw nervously. Starsky didn't miss the look of happiness that stole across Nightpaw's face when she talked about Sunspark.

"Of course you can!" meowed Starsky brightly.

"Well, bye then," mewed Nightpaw. She promptly rushed off to find Sunspark.

Starsky sighed. She remembered feeling that way about Alderleaf once. But she couldn't think about Alderleaf anymore.

One more piece of business then off to bed.

"Stoneflight, can I talk to you for a minute?" whispered Starsky.

"Sure, what do you need?" asked Stoneflight.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Starsky demanded quietly, "Did you mean what you said today? At the warrior ceremony?"

"Of course I did!" meowed Stoneflight. "You're beautiful and brave. You risked your life to try and save Stormwave."

"But I failed!' whimpered Starsky miserably. She was ashamed at her weakness.

"At least you tried your best," meowed Stoneflight soothingly. "That's the most you can ask of anyone. One of the things I love best about you is your loyalty and tenacity."

Starsky leaned, exhausted, on Stoneflight's shoulder. "Why do terrible things happen to me and the people I love? Does StarClan want to punish me?"

Stoneflight felt older than he was. He had often wondered the same things. "I can only believe that StarClan has a plan for every cat, that no matter what, through battles, sickness, and hardship, we can find a place to be safe one day with StarClan."

The Clan all gathered near the deepest part of the stream where the departed warriors were laid to rest, faces peaceful and serene.

Starsky gave her father's head one last lick before he sank beneath the water.