Chapter 23

I'm so sorry for the wait, guys. I've been so out of it! I know it's been a while, but I hope you'll like the chapter. Please remember to review!

Her paws were tingling beneath her, but for some strange reason Bubblestar didn't feel nervous as she stood on High Stone. RiverClan had gathered at its base, watching and listening intently. They were waiting for her to name her deputy.

She inhaled slowly. "The new deputy will be Runningsky."

Cats whooped and cheered for him as he clambered excitedly up to stand beside Bubblestar. She smiled at the way his eyes glittered; she knew she'd made the right decision. Runningsky would be a great deputy for the Clan.

The Clan chanted his name, and then eventually the crowd dispersed. Runningsky followed Bubblestar into her new den—the leader's den.

She sat and curled her tail around her paws. "It's weird, being in this den. I'm so used to having all the other warriors sleeping right beside me." She looked around. "It seems like a dream, living here. Being a leader."

"But it's not," Runningsky meowed. "You're really here. You're really leader…" He trailed off.

Bubblestar smirked. "And yes, you're really the deputy of RiverClan."

He smiled at her sheepishly. "Thank you. I promise I'll do you proud, and give it my all."

"I know you will. That's why I picked you."

Bubblestar's situation with Coyotefur was turning out to be a real problem. A couple cats hissed at her repeatedly, and were disgusted that she was leader.

"No leader of mine is going to be having an affair with some tom from another Clan," Specklefoot had spit one morning when ordered to go on dawn patrol. "I'm disgraced."

Bubblestar tried to apologize at first, but gave up when she realized that it wasn't helping and that it was stupid for her to be apologizing in the first place. She hadn't done anything wrong, right? It was in the prophecy that she and Coyotefur be together.

She couldn't help but fall in love with him!

It had been three days since she had become leader. She hadn't seen Coyotefur since their unfinished trial.

She sighed and lay back, wondering what they could possibly do… How could they keep their relationship going when it was public now? Especially now that she was leader. It seemed like the only solutions were leave the forest, move from WindClan to RiverClan or vice versa or…cut off ties with him. And she really didn't want to do that. She really didn't want to do any of those things.

She shoved her head in between her paws, her eyes stinging. "What should I do!" Her fur muffled her cry.

"Is that any way for a leader to be acting?" The familiar, wise voice made Bubblestar jump. She looked up quickly at Sapphirestone, feeling embarrassed.

"No," she mumbled, sighing again. She scrambled to her feet.

"Are you worried about your love?"

Not meeting the former leader's gaze, Bubblestar nodded.

"Don't worry."

Now Bubblestar's eyes swung around to see Turtlestorm, staring at her intently.

"Don't worry," she repeated. "It will all be sorted out after the big battle."

The RiverClan leader's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but Turtlestorm cut her off.

"Don't ask what the big battle is. I'll only tell you that it's the prophecy of Riverstar coming true," Turtlestorm meowed.

Bubblestar closed her jaws and nodded. "Uh…can you tell me…if this big battle will be soon?"

Turtlestorm's eyes closed, and an ominous silence hung over the three cats. After what seemed like an eternity, the older warrior opened her eyes again, and Bubblestar let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

With a tight jaw, Turtlestorm nodded slightly and then turned and walked away swiftly. Bubblestar was left with a sick feeling in her stomach.

Sapphirestone stepped towards her. "It's painful being leader, isn't it?" Bubblestar nodded. "Things that were confusing before are even more confusing now. A terrible feeling, really."

Bubblestar frowned, wondering what she was getting at. Is she trying to make me depressed?

"But it feels right, doesn't it?"

The question surprised Bubblestar. She looked over at Sapphirestone, and nodded slowly, her eyes wide.

"You can't explain it, it just feels like it was meant to be," Sapphirestone continued, and Bubblestar nodded again. "Very few times did I feel truly nervous in my time as leader…" She looked dreamy as she reminisced. Bubblestar waited patiently for her to come back to the conversation. After a moment, she looked back at Bubblestar. "My advice for you is to trust your instincts. Do what you feel is right. And then everything will turn out okay."

"…Really?" Bubblestar asked in a small voice, feeling like a kit.

Sapphirestone's eyes glimmered as she smiled at the new leader. "Really."

Bubblestar inhaled and then exhaled deeply. "Thank you, Sapphirestone. I'll remember your advice."

Still smiling, the older cat flicked her tail over Bubblestar's ears affectionately before padding away. Bubblestar stared after her, touched.

She really is a great cat…a great warrior, a great mentor, a great leader… Excitement suddenly churned inside Bubblestar. I hope I can live up to her as a leader! I want to be the best leader I can be…I'll discover the answer to Coyotefur's and my problem when the time is right. And I'll do it by listening to my instincts.

Bubblestar looked up at the bright, clear sky, absorbing the warmth into her fur. She took in another deep breath, smelling the woods and flowers all around her. Then she turned around and trotted over to speak to Runningsky, feeling like her short talk with Sapphirestone had refreshed her.

Bubblestar decided to go hunting with the patrol. She wanted to go out and do something; she'd been in the camp for three full days getting used to life as a leader. Now she was stretching her nimble limbs and racing with her apprentice through the forest. Mistyleaf and Badgerface were also in the hunting patrol with them, and they all seemed to be hyped up.

It came to mind that Ribbonpaw should be a warrior soon…she'd have to give him a test shortly.

Not a single prey got away, and when they finally came back to camp they had an abundance of fresh-kill with them. Bubblestar was out of breath but she had loved being able to take all of her stress out on the prey, and she felt even better than she had earlier that day.

She was grateful for her bed in the leader's den as the sun started going down. She fell into a deep sleep with no dreams.

Bubblestar was startled awake, her fur standing on end and her hackles raised. A loud siren was wailing, loud, irritating beeps going off every few seconds. The first one had been the loudest, and she was sure the whole forest was awake.

As she stepped out into the camp, she realized that the alarm was coming from where the Twolegs had their own big, disgusting camp. The sound was loud even all the way over where the cats were, and Bubblestar didn't understand how the Twolegs could stand the noise when they were all so close to the big building.

Runningsky came dashing over to her, concern clouding his eyes.

"What could it possibly be?" he wondered aloud as the other cats crept out of their dens.

Bubblestar shook her head, a feeling of dread coming over her.

"I don't know, but it's definitely something bad." Her head snapped over to a group of apprentices—Flowertail's kits. "All of you, go and inform the other Clans about where the noise is coming from. Tell them to send their best warriors and apprentices to the river. Squirreltail, go with them." Ribbonpaw, Wreathpaw, Featherpaw and Squirreltail all nodded and ran to the entrance of the camp, only to skid to a stop when a big snake, one they had never seen before—in fact they didn't think snakes could get so big—slithered stealthily in. It made the fur on every cat's neck strand up, and it stopped in front of Lionfoot, raised its ugly head and bared two long, sharp fangs in a hiss. A bunch of cats tackled it, and Lionfoot mashed its head down, closing its mouth, and sunk his own fangs into its neck. It quickly stopped squirming.

Taking in a shaky breath, Bubblestar reformed her plan. "Scratch that, guys," she said to her four messengers. "Tell them to send all their warriors and apprentices to the river. I have a feeling this is going to end in a big battle."

She also had a feeling the prophecy was coming true.

Again, sorry for the wait. I hope you all liked this chapter, or are least excited for the next chapter. :D Finally, the prophecy you've all been waiting for…and then the end of this entire story! GASP! Well anyways, please review! ^^