Chapter 25

"Squirrelstar!" The deputy cried.

Birchfall looked down at the crumpled body. The ginger leader was dead. Her old, thin pelt hung off her body and her ragged ears were flopped over. Her small tongue hung limp from her mouth. She was laying in her nest in her den that was carved into the Highledge.

"Birchfall!" ThunderClan looked up at him from below; the cats' eyes were wide with worry. "What's wrong?"

The tabby looked down at his Clan, his ears flat against his head. "Squirrelstar is dead."

They gasped.

"But how?" Ferncloud asked with her kits hanging off her back like possum pups.

"She gained her lives just a few days ago," Brackenfur said.

"But did you see how fast she aged?" Dovewing pointed out.

"This means Birchfall is our new leader. Birchstar!" Toadstep croaked.

Handsomehandsome stood from afar watching the disbelief roll through his Clanmates. His cyan-colored eyes glowed bright like the moon in the twilight-lit camp. They glowed bright with sadness. His mother was dead. At three moons old, he was an orphan.

Then Squirrestar hissed, "I ain't dead yet! I still has more lives!" She glared down at the Clan from the Highledge. Her green eyes were dull and slimy as if she had actually risen from the dead.

The Clan sighed in relief. "Thank, StarClan!" Cinderheart and Rosepetal said in unison.

Then the ginger she-cat fell over and tumbled down the Highledge and landed on the camp floor with a sickening thud. The Clan gasped in surprise and crowded around her.

"She really is dead now!" Cinderheart meowed mournfully.

"Nooo," Squirrelstar lifted up her head.

Handsomehandsome padded up to his frail mother. "Geez, Mom. If you're gonna die, then die."

"See you all in hell- I mean- StarClan!" She mewed with love.

Then she died. For realzies.

"Birchfall, like, you need to appoint a new deputy before moonhigh." Gaystripe meowed, flicking his paw towards the tabby. "That's soon. We'll sit vigil afterwards."

"You're right, Gaystripe," Birchfall nodded, feeling a rush of warmth under his pelt flare as he gazed at the gray tomcat. "Okay, everyone gather quickly for a Clan meeting!"

The kits and queens and elders and warriors, and the apprentices as well, crowded by the leader's body while looking up at the deputy expectantly.

Birchfall took a deep breath. "Okay... I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of ThunderClan is Handsomehandsome."

Everyone turned to stare at the handsome tom who hadn't even trained his own apprentice yet. Foxleap was the first to congratulate him.

"Oh! This is so great!" The pregnant tom squealed.

Handsomehandsome smiled. "I am honored to be your deputy, Birchfall."

The Clan cheered his name happily, but one cat protested: Lionblaze.

"What?!" Lionblaze growled, shouldering his Clanmates aside as he approached the newly appointed deputy. "But but but I'm supposed to be deputy! I have superpowers! I'm invincible! And I actually have had apprentices!"

Lionblaze lunged at his half-brother/nephew/nephew-brother with claws unsheathed.

Foxleap gasped and jumped in front of Handsomehandsome to intercept the attack. Lionblaze flung Foxleap away, causing the Clan to gasp in horror. The reddish-brown tabby queen hit the camp's stone wall and fell to the floor. Handsomehandsome's heart stopped. He stepped towards Lionblaze slowly.

Handsomehandsome's eyes turned bloodred with anger and hatred. He then snarled and hurled himself at Lionblaze with bright red fire blazing from his paws. Lionblaze narrowly ducked his attack.

"You'll pay!" Handsomehandsome growled, his blue fur changing to crimson and his golden fur turning bronze-colored.

"Make me!" Lionblaze retorted, lashing his tail.

The red-bronze warrior hurled himself at the amber tom once more. His sharp claws slashed through air, missing his former mentor every time.

"You can't defeat me," Lionblaze cackled, knocking Handsomehandsome to the ground with one swipe. "Your story ends here!"

"STOP! Jayfeather and Leafpool jumped between Lionblaze and the fallen warrior.

Lionblaze haulted in surprise. "Move. Let me finish him off." He snarled at his mother who he hated as well so much.

Handsomehandsome's fur reverted back to gold and blue. His fiery paws began to smolder with smoke.

"I can't let you hurt our brother." Jayfeather said, his blind eyes flickering down at the unconscious body. "I can't let you hurt my son."

A/N: Exciting... Don't forget to give suggestions for the wedding plans... This is my favorite chapter so far.