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Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, Erin Hunter does.

The camp was quiet as Hollystar and Jayfeather approached it. Hollystar's gaze was drawn to three freshly dug graves. Her heart almost split with grief. She lowered her gaze and padded through the camp entrance.

Jayfeather padded to his den. Hollystar stood still, unsure of where to go. The obvious answer was Firestar's den—her den, she corrected herself—but she couldn't bring herself to move.

"Hollystar!"

The cry made her jump. Cloudtail was standing outside the warrior's den, waving his tail in welcome. Within heartbeats Hollystar was surrounded by moving pelts offering congratulations.

"Hollystar!"

"Hollystar, you're back!"

"Welcome back, Hollystar!"

"Did you really get nine lives?" Ivypaw demanded, her eyes round with awe.

"I really did," Hollystar replied.

"What was it like?" Dovepaw asked.

"I can't talk about it."

"Oh," Dovepaw mewed. "Okay."

"Listen, everyone," Hollystar mewed awkwardly, "I'm really tired, okay? I just wanna get to sleep. Besides, it's time for patrols." Geez, I must be the first leader who avoids her Clanmates.

"But, Hollystar, who will organize the patrols?" Thornclaw inquired, tipping his head to one side.

"Err…Brackenfur," she meowed, thinking of a name at random. The tabby tom bowed his head. Cats began to crowd around him as he assigned them to various patrols.

Hollystar leaped up the highledge gratefully, looking forward to curling up and going to sleep.

Someone had cleared away Firestar's nest and left fresh moss and bracken. Hollystar scraped a nest together quickly, settling down in it and narrowing her eyes in relief.

There was a muted thud in front of her. "I thought you might want some fresh-kill," Mousewhisker murmured. He prodded the robin he had dropped in front of her.

Hollystar blinked gratefully at him. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too." He turned and started to pad away.

"Wait," Hollystar mewed suddenly. "Don't leave." He turned, looking back at her. "I don't want to be alone," she murmured, meeting his gaze desperately.

Mousewhisker purred warmly. "Then of course I'll stay." He settled down beside her.

Hollystar finished off the robin quickly. "Mmm…" she murmured, licking her lips. "That was the best fresh-kill I've had in ages." A sleepy mumble came from somewhere beside her. Sighing happily, she snuggled deeper into her nest and twined her tail with her mate's. She laid her chin on his shoulder and closed her eyes blissfully.

Mousewhisker, I love you. I love you. I never want to leave you.

With that thought in her mind, she drifted off into sleep.

When she woke again, the moon was just beginning to rise. Inside her den all was quiet. Mousewhisker's breath billowed softly beside her. Low murmurs drifted through the den entrance. For a moment, she stayed motionless, afraid if she moved she would break the spell.

Deputy.

The thought broke into her head and she sighed. She needed to choose one, and quickly. She had to make the announcement by moon-high.

But who to choose? She mulled the decision over.

Thornclaw? He was loyal and courageous, yes, but he was hotheaded and would rush into battle without thinking.

Cloudtail? He was a definite possibility. He was sharp-tongued, but also kind and gentle, and wise, too. Maybe.

Hazeltail? No.

Dustpelt? No.

Brackenfur? No.

Berrynose? Definitely not. Besides, he'd never even had an apprentice.

Mousewhisker? Hollystar turned to the gray and white tom by her side. She loved him, but that wasn't enough for him to be deputy. Not that she didn't trust his judgment, but he wasn't right.

Sorreltail? No.

Squirrelflight? No.

Spiderleg? No.

Goodness, Hollystar, just choose someone already!

She needed someone courageous, thoughtful, but gentle too, and wise. Someone compassionate and kind.

Someone like…

Someone like…

Someone like, well…

Ashfur.

The image of a gray-flecked tom burst into her head. Yes, Ashfur was perfect. He was everything she could ask for in a deputy. Comforted by her decision, she stood and stretched luxuriously. "Mousewhisker," she murmured absentmindedly, "It's time to wake up."

The tom blinked and yawned widely. "Did you have to wake me up?" he mewed crossly. "I was having the best dream."

"About what?" Hollystar teased, flicking him over the ear with her tail.

"You, of course," he replied.

She purred. "Come on, lazybones," she meowed. "I'm going to call a meeting."

The moonlight was blinding. Tonight night was a full moon, she realized. Her first gathering as Hollystar, leader of ThunderClan.

Mousewhisker slipped from her side and leaped down the Highledge. Hollystar took a hesitant step forward. She felt awkward. She took a deep breath.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Her own voice surprised her. She sounded much more confident than she felt. Her summons were still echoing around camp as her Clan padded from the shadows and gathered beneath her. Icestorm appeared at the nursery's entrance, Cinderheart following. Cinderheart's kits gazed with wide eyes at their first Clan meeting.

Her gaze was drawn to a pair of burning golden eyes and a pelt to match. Her heart skipped a beat. It was Lionblaze, come back from the dead!

But of course it wasn't. That was impossible. As the tom came into the moonlight she realized that it was none other than Sunkit!

He's ready to be apprenticed.

All of Icestorm's kits were. She would take care of that after she announced her choice of deputy. Every cat in ThunderClan was gathered now, and every eye was fixed on her. Hollystar took another deep breath and began. "As you all know, ThunderClan is in need of a deputy."

A low murmur of excitement ran through the assembled cats. Hollystar continued. "I say these words before the spirits of StarClan, so that they may hear and approve my choice." She let her gaze wander over her Clan. Tension was almost tangible. She let the final words drop from her mouth like raindrops. "Ashfur will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Ashfur blinked quickly. "Umm…thank you Hollystar," he meowed. "I...I didn't…I never…I mean…" He ducked his head. "Just…thank you. I never expected to be given this honor. I promise, I will do I all I can to serve my Clan."

"Ashfur!" Poppyfrost cheered. "Ashfur!" He tenderly touched his nose to her's. Her eyes glowed.

She'll be moving into the nursery soon.

The thought made her purr. "Before you all leave," she mewed, louder, bounding down the Highledge, "There's another ceremony I would like to perform." Her Clan gazed at her curiously. "Will Snowkit, Splotchkit, and Sunkit please step forward?"

Icestorm gasped. She quickly lowered her head and licked her kits roughly. "Your fur!" she tutted. "Any cat would think you hadn't washed in moons."

Sunkit squirmed. "Get off me!" he complained. His sisters were already bouncing to the foot of the Highledge. He followed them eagerly.

Hollystar purred. Her gaze settled on the small golden and white she-kit. "Splotchkit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Splotchpaw."

"Splotchpaw!" Icestorm called, her eyes glowing with pride for her daughter.

Hollystar scanned the crowd. "Rosefrost, you are ready for your first apprentice. Teach Splotchpaw all you know, and she will be a warrior the Clan will be proud of." Rosefrost delicately picked her way to Splotchpaw's side and touched noses with her. The pair padded back through the crowd to the edge of camp.

Snowkit was gazing at Hollystar eagerly. "Snowkit, from this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw."

"Snowpaw!" Icestorm cheered.

"Spiderleg, you will be mentor to Snowpaw. You were mentor to Bumblestripe, and he is a credit to this Clan. Teach Snowpaw all you know, and she will be a fine warrior." The gray-black tom touched noses with the white she-cat, and they too withdrew to the side of camp."

"Sunkit."

The golden tom stared at her with wide eyes. "From this moment, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Sunpaw."

"Sunpaw!" Icestorm cheered.

I want to keep an eye on him.

"I will mentor him."

The words that fell from her mouth surprised her. Nevertheless she touched her nose to his. Sunpaw's eyes were carefully guarded. She motioned to him to wait for her by the apprentice's den. "There is one more order of business to take care of," Hollystar mewed. "Dovepaw is in need of a new mentor. Dovepaw, will you please step forward?" The fluffy gray she-cat obeyed. Hollystar thought for a moment. "Dustpelt, you will continue Dovepaw's training. Guide her paws on the path of becoming a warrior." The dusky brown warrior touched his nose to Dovepaw's, and her whisker's twitched.

"Hollystar," Berrynose called, "Who will go to the Gathering tonight? We should be leaving soon." Sunpaw and his sisters looked up eagerly.

Hollystar waved her tail idly. "Hmm…Ashfur and Jayfeather, of course, Thornclaw, Mousewhisker, Poppyfrost, Foxcatcher, Icestorm, Spiderleg, Dovepaw and Ivypaw, Sunpaw, Splotchpaw and Snowpaw, Berrynose, Cinderheart, Millie and Graystripe, Dustpelt, and Rosefrost." The cats she had named began to gather in front of the camp entrance. Mousewhisker padded to her. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," she murmured in reply, leaning into him. Pelts brushing, they padded to the camp entrance. "Ready?" she asked her Clan. There was a mumble of agreement. "Then let's go."

Their journey was uneventful. Mousewhisker kept in step with her the entire way, and his presence comforted her. When they reached the island he paused. "You can go first," he mewed.

She shook her head. "I need to make sure everyone gets across."

One by one her Clanmates leaped and crossed the tree-bride. When the last cat--Graystripe—had made his way across, Hollystar leaped and crossed herself.

Her Clan was gathered by the water's edge. At Hollystar's silent nod they padded through the underbrush into the clearing.

So far RiverClan was the only Clan present. Mistystar sat crouched on one of the Great Oak's roots, her eyes half-closed and looking far away. Hollystar padded to her fellow leader uncertainly. "Hello," she mewed.

Mistystar seemed to jolt awake. "Oh, good evening, Hollyleaf. Where's Firestar?"

Hollystar sat beside the root. "He died last sunrise."

"Oh!" Mistystar looked devastated. "Did he? Where's Bramblestar, then?"

"Brambleclaw," Hollystar empathized the last part of the name, "died last sunrise, as well."

"Did he?" Mistystar's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I didn't kill him," Hollystar murmured. "Either of them." Unconsciously she began pouring out everything that had happened last sunrise. "And now I'm leader," she finished.

Mistystar's eyes were wide. "So…Lionblaze killed both Brambleclaw and Firestar? I don't believe it! He was such a good warrior."

"He was," Hollystar murmured, "I don't think any of us expected that of him."

The leaders were distracted by the arrival of Blackstar and ShadowClan. "Evening, Mistystar, Hollyleaf," the white tom rasped, approaching them.

"I'm Hollystar now," Hollystar mewed.

Blackstar looked at her curiously. "What do you mean? What happened to Brambleclaw and Firestar?" Hollystar only cast her gaze downward. She didn't feel like explaining again.

Thankfully, Blackstar didn't ask any more questions, only leaped onto a branch on the Great Oak. "Have any of you seen Onestar yet?"

"No," Hollystar replied, "and there was no sign of him on our way here."

Mistystar leaped up onto a branch beside Blackstar. She settled there, licking a paw idly and drawing it over ear. "Aren't you coming?" she inquired of Hollystar.

"Oh…yes…I'm coming." She bunched her muscles and sprang, aiming for a limb just between Blackstar's and Mistystar's. The bark was slippery! She struggled to get a grip. "I little help would be nice," she growled, scrabbling for a clawhold.

Mistystar purred. "Here." She lunged, grabbing Hollystar's scruff in her jaws, hauling her up onto the branch.

Hollystar sat and wrapped her tail around her paws, blushing furiously. "Don't…ever…mention…that…again…" she panted, glaring at both Blackstar and Mistystar in turn. Mistystar's whiskers twitched, and Blackstar rolled his eyes.

Beneath them, Ashfur, Blackclaw, and Russetfur were settling themselves on protruding roots. Ashfur looked a bit embarrassed to be surrounded by the elder deputies. He kept his head down and his ears pressed to his skull.

At the edge of the clearing, almost shielded from view by an elder bush, the medicine cats sat. Mothwing and Littlecloud were chatting cordially, and Flamepaw was listening to them intently. Willowshine and Jayfeather were sitting with their heads close together, murmuring softly to one another. Hollystar felt a prickling of unease.

All of a sudden the undergrowth rustled and Onestar stormed into the clearing, his warriors streaming along behind him. Barkface and Kestrelspots padded to join the medicine cats, Onestar and Breezepelt headed to the Great Oak, and the rest of the WindClan warriors settled themselves among the crowd. In one lithe bound, he sprang to up to join Mistystar, Blackstar, and Hollystar. Hollystar noticed that the WindClan leader looked unusually frail. Nodding his head curtly to the other leaders, he padded to the end of the branch and opened his mouth wide. "Let all Clans gather here beneath StarClan!"

Slowly every cat came to gather beneath the Great Oak, their eyes glowing in the gloom. A soft murmur raced around the crowd as they realized that Firestar's flame-colored pelt was nowhere to be found. Ashfur, Breezepelt, Blackclaw, and Russetfur sat on their haunches and gazed up at their leaders.

"I'll begin." Mistystar mewed. "RiverClan has been treated well this moon. One of our apprentices, Cougarpaw, has become a warrior. His name is now Cougarheart."

A warrior?! Already?! But he had only been training for three moons! Hollystar quickly scanned the throng for Cougarheart's familiar pelt. She spotted the young tom, sitting with his chest puffed out. She was surprised at how quickly the tom had grown, now he was as big as any warrior, his pelt was shiny over a muscular frame.

Mistystar bowed her head. "Besides that, RiverClan has little else to report." She looked expectantly at the other leaders.

"I'll speak next," Onestar mewed. "Sunstrike has given birth to a new litter of five healthy kits!" He waited for the cheering to die down. "Their names are Firkit, Frostkit, Starkit, Iriskit, and Rainkit!" He paused again. "And one of our apprentices, Duskypaw, has become a warrior. She is now known as Duskyflower."

"Duskyflower! Duskyflower!" cheered Antpelt. He gave the dark gray she-cat a swift lick on her cheek. She leaned into him, her blue eyes glowing.

Blackstar spoke next. "Prey is running well, now that new-leaf is here. ShadowClan has little to report."

And now it was her time to speak! Hollystar took a deep breath, unsure of how to begin. "Cats of all Clans, ThunderClan has sad news. Firestar is dead."

"Where is Brambleclaw, then?" A cat at the back of the clearing yowled.

Hollystar's ears twitched nervously. "Because of a series of events far too intricate to go into right now, Brambleclaw is dead also."

A murmur ran through the other Clans, and more than one cat was glaring at her suspiciously. She lashed her tail. "Fine! You want the story?! I'll give it to you. Lionblaze killed Brambleclaw." There was a shocked silence. Hollystar went on ruthlessly. "After a patrol found his body and brought it back to camp, Lionblaze admitted to his crime. He killed Firestar. He was going to take over the forest. I killed him." The silence stretched longer. "StarClan named me the new leader. I went to the Moonstone and received my nine lives. I am now Hollystar. Are you satisfied?"

Every cat was staring at her in disbelief, including her own Clanmates, shocked by her outburst. "Ashfur is my deputy." Still no cat spoke. "In other news, ThunderClan brings three new apprentices to this Gathering. Icestorm's kits have become apprentices, and now are known as Sunpaw, Snowpaw, and Splotchpaw."

Finally the silence was broken by congratulatory purrs. "That's all," Hollystar mewed, relived.

Mistystar padded forward a step. "This Gathering has come to an end." She leaped onto the ground and summoned her Clan with a wave of her tail. Nodding politely to the other leaders, she and her warriors left. Blackstar followed her example and left with a mere, "See you next moon."

Hollystar turned to Onestar. "May StarClan walk with you," she mewed.

Onestar nodded. "Same to you, Hollystar." He, too, left, his warriors following.

"Hollystar!" Thornclaw yowled. "Are you going to stand here all night?"

"I'm coming," she mewed, bounding gracefully to the ground. Nodding silently to her warriors, who assembled behind her, she started sprinting for home.

Yikes….looooooooooooooong……….good, cuz it's taken me almost a month to finish. *glares at screen* Damn you writer's block! I will get you back someday!

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