Yeah, so…yeah. Here's…oooohhh, WINDFOOT! Woohoo!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The battle was over. Windfoot stood statue-still in the center of the clearing, staring ahead with blank, cloudy eyes. He was so tired he felt almost dead on his feet, though he could feel wind ruffling his fur and could hear the voices of cats all around him.

At his feet lay the body of Flightpaw, her cold face set in a grim snarl, her eyes glazed and unseeing. Her ginger fur was streaked with mud and blood, and her left foreleg lay mangled (A/N: sorry for gruesome details, I don't like describing it, you know) by her side. Not far lay the rest of the ShadowClan warriors who had died in the battle – four, including Flightpaw. It was one of the worst battles in the history of the four Clans. Flightpaw, Yewcloud, Poppycloud, and Palepelt, the deputy of ShadowClan. All of them now walked with StarClan. Windfoot blinked, hardly able to understand it.

Just yesterday, Palepelt had snapped at him for accidentally crushing a portion of the camp wall. He had snapped back, and received a sharp word for Gravelstar. It had been worth it, to see Palepelt bristle like a hedgehog, and hear Smallpaw's delicate laughter from the apprentice's den. He had turned to look at her, a dashing grin on his face, and she had blinked once, twice, before slipping into the shadows. It had been worth it.

But this…none of that was worth this. Today, Palepelt laid stiff and cold on the red-stained ground, her scars gleaming in the dusky light. He had resented her yesterday – today he missed her more than he missed his own mother. Only because she was dead.

Flightpaw, who lay unyielding at his feet, had been teasing him mercilessly about his meager catch that morning: she had caught a crow - of all things, a crow – and he had only caught two shrews. He had desperately wanted to leap at her and claw her fur off for being so insolent – but now she was dead. That crow of hers would go to the kits in the nursery, and Flightpaw? Why, she wouldn't be eating anything at all.

Windfoot had hated Poppycloud with a certain loathing. She was arrogant and conceited, and at every chance she got she would make some scathing remark about his parentage or his loyalty. If there were any cat in ShadowClan that he might have wished dead yesterday, it was Poppycloud. And now – oh, the irony – Poppycloud was dead. Dead as a cracked flea. Dead as a piece of fresh-kill. She would never insult him again. Ever.

Yewcloud. He had hardly known Yewcloud – she was a solitary, quiet she-cat. She had barely said three words to him throughout all of leaf-bare. They hadn't been friends at all – but she was nice, he knew. He also knew that Whiteface – Whiteface, his very best friend in all the world - had been desperately in love with her. And what had happened? She, too, was dead.

"Windfoot! For StarClan's sake, Windfoot, come on!" It was a deep, throaty growl. Gravelstar.

"Yes, Gravelstar?" he murmured, barely turning his head.

The ShadowClan leader brushed up against him, looking out at his warriors who now no longer fought by his side, but had died at it.

"There is nothing to be done, Windfoot. They hunt with StarClan now." Windfoot was about to be horrified by the leader's lack of grief, but he noticed the thick edge of distress in the big cat' voice, and was clamed by it.

"I know that, Gravelstar," he replied quietly. For of course, he did know. He just did not understand.

"We will carry them back to camp and hold the proper ceremonies, of course," meowed Gravelstar, drawing himself up and turning away. "But there is more than just that to be done. Quite a few ceremonies to perform, in fact."

"What are those, sir?" Windfoot asked quietly, following him back towards the ShadowClan camp. Gravelstar glanced at him, a glimmer in his eye.

"Well, for the first, Shortpaw's warrior ceremony. Long overdue, I am afraid. And the matter of the new ShadowClan deputy…"

Windfoot nodded, too tired and shocked to give it much thought. "Of course sir." Gravelstar sighed as he slipped into the camp, Windfoot following diligently.

The gray tomcat immediately went to the Highstump and clawed his way up, calling for a Clan meeting. Windfoot swerved toward the meeting ground, still in a daze. He felt a small, warm body appear at his side, and looked down to find Smallpaw, the black she-cat who was ShadowClan newest apprentice. His paws tingled, but there was little he could do.

"I wish I could have been there," she mewed softly. Windfoot shook his head.

"No, Smallpaw. I'm sure that you wish anything but that." The small apprentice stiffened, but seeing the look on his face, said nothing more of it.

"We have many ceremonies to perform today, of the happiest and the saddest kind. But first, there is one ceremony that should have performed a long time ago. Shortpaw, please stand."

Surprise flashed across the black and gray tom's face, but he stood and walked proudly to the Hightstump. As soon as he sat down, a horrified expression took hold of his features, and he immediately stood again, as if he had sat on a thorn.

"I wish-" he called, his voice quivering with emotion, "I only wish that my sister Flightpaw were here with me. She deserved it as much, if not more, than I did. I am sure that S-StarClan had their reasons for t-taking her life t-today!" He sat down abruptly, as if he might keel over without solid ground beneath him.

"Indeed, I would be happier to see her here," meowed Gravelstar solemnly. A cat in the crowd released a high-pitched wail of grief.

"But this is not a time to think of these sad things. Shortpaw! After your training with-" Gravelstar paused, swallowed, and began again, "After your training with Palepelt, you are now a very fine hunter and an excellent fighter – I believe that today's battle certainly showed your skills. Do your promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Shortpaw nodded briskly. "I do."

"Then let you now be known as Shortfur! I commend you to StarClan as a warrior in your turn."

"Shortfur! Shortfur! Shortfur!" The cry was taken up all over camp – Windfoot could even hear the tiny kit-voices of Flowkit, Climbingkit, Twokit and Shiverkit, who were lined up at the entrance to the nursery.

Shortfur thrust out his chest, pride making his dark face glow like the moon.

"And now, I must name the new deputy of ShadowClan!" called Gravelstar. The camp instantly fell silent. All eyes were on the gray leader, standing on top of the Highstump, his tail twitching back and forth.

"I say these words before the body of Palepelt, so that StarClan may hear and approve my choice."

Not a cat moved. The whisper of a chilled breeze was the only sound in the ShadowClan camp. Even the tall, ominous pine trees seemed to be holding their breath as Gravelstar paused once more.

"Windfoot will be the new deputy of ShadowClan."

Windfoot could feel a cold rush flowing through his body. His head swam. Smallpaw beside him drew away, staring at him with wide green eyes.

"Go on, Windfoot," she murmured, giving him a hesitant nudge toward the Highstump. He turned his head, the air feeling as thick as mud, and took in the image of Gravelstar standing on the Highstump with weary complacency.

"Yes," he mewed to himself, almost jokingly. "Go on, Windfoot."

The silver tabby made his way to the Highstump slowly, his fur glittering, his dark blue eyes glazed and confused.

"You may not understand this now, warrior," meowed Gravelstar in undertone once Windfoot was standing solidly beside him. "But I have good reason for choosing you as my deputy. All must be brave, young one, before light can shine, and you are the bravery that must be found in the heart of this Clan."

The cats of ShadowClan looked up at Windfoot in awe – there was no doubt in their hearts that, though he had been a warrior for only a few moons, and a ShadowClan cat for a mere season and a half, Windfoot would be the greatest deputy, and leader, that ShadowClan had ever seen.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o00o0oo

Whooooaaaaaa…….intense, right? Yeah. Right. Okay, so…yeah, Windfoot is the new deputy of ShadowClan. Next chappie is updated allegiances…you might want to read them to see who's died and stuff. Yes, a lot of cats died. Hey, um, it's kind of hush-hush but I only killed off so many cats because the Clans were getting too big. YES, it's evil, YES it's gruesome, but NO, I am a not a cruel and heartless monster who cares nothing for the lives of innocent cats. Besides, most of the deaths were purposeful, just, like Yewcloud and some other ThunderClan peoples like Gingerfoot were a bit unnecessary, but really, was anybody deeply attached to Yewcloud? Didn't think so. Whiteface might have been, but believe me, hell get over it in time. Yeah. So next chappie is allegiances.