Prologue


6/1/21 - 6/2/21 - 6/4/21 - 6/5/21 - 6/6/21 - 6/19/21 - 6/21/21 - 6/22/21 - 6/23/21 - 6/27/21 - 7/1/21 - 7/9/21 - 7/11/21 - 7/12/21 - 7/24/21 - 7/27/21 - 7/28/21 - 7/29/21


Yellow eyes open to an unfamiliar den and nearly jumps out of his fur.

Where am I-?! Memories of long lost faces, Jaystar's blue eyes full of pride and chants of cats with stars-bathed pelts flood back to Mudcreek-

Mudstar. Yeah, this is gonna take a while.

The ruddy brown tom drags himself out of his nest where Jaystar's scent still lingers. Pushing back the heartache, Mudstar leaves the leader's den and the December air hits his face.

StarClan, it's so cold!

His pelt rises to combat the rush of cold running down his body. Several warriors were getting up for the morning, and Whiteflame is the first to see him step into the clearing.

"Good sunrise, Mudstar." Whiteflame greets him, and the others soon jump up to the SkyClan leader's name.

Multiple colored eyes watch Mudstar expectantly. He didn't understand why until it hit him again. If you start making this a habit, you might as well give up your title to Whiteflame.

"Okay… Icefall, you can take Bumbletail andStormfall to check ThunderClan's border-."

"We did that yesterday." Icefall said.

"... You did?"

Bumbletail and Stormfall nod in agreement, with Whiteflame confirming with a small head nod.

Crap. How did he forget that quickly?

"Um, okay… We should send a hunting patrol for the morning-."

Cats were looking at each other in dismay - Mudstar internally panics.

"I've sent a hunting party of Ravenmask, Brightwater and Mallowstem right before you woke up." Whiteflame reports. "Just as you told me last night."

No, Mudstar doesn't remember such a thing, but he blinks at his deputy gratefully.

"While we're discussing duties; Bumbletail, take a patrol to ShadowClan. Leafstorm, check the fresh-kill pile for any crow-food. Stormfall, Icefall, look to find some discarded feathers for us to use."

Each cat nods and goes off to perform their respective chore; Whiteflame turns to Mudstar as the SkyClan leader exhales.

"I wouldn't focus on this, Mudstar. Mistakes are bound to happen on the first day."

"Jaystar never made mistakes." Mudstar mutters.

"Not out in the open." Whiteflame replies. "But it's normal. Mistakes are normal. You'll be able to give out orders once you get the hang of it."

The weight of Mudstar's responsibilities seem lighter with Whiteflame's reassurance. Age aside, he knew that he needed a cat with experience on his side, and the ginger tailed tom was his first choice.

As days go on, Mudstar's leadership is almost immediately put to the test and knows he can't avoid it.

The test involves Dapplesky and her two-moon-old kits, Sparrowkit and Wrenkit.

With warriors dwindling, Dapplesky's kits were one of the arrivals that was desperately needed during the time.

Nobody knew who fathered Dapplesky's kits.

A few rumors here and there but none of them seem to stick, and nobody cared until she was outed by one of the queens (most likely Rubblefall, or maybe even Bumbletail), that Wrenkit and Sparrowkit's father is Buzzardclaw of ThunderClan.

It was the usual story; two cats born in different Clans, fall in love, have kits - breaking the warrior code. With the usual ramifications that warm welcomes for brother and sister dried up and emotionally shut the two kits out and were openly disgusted with Dapplesky.

Jaystar was supposed to "do something" about her and her brood, but he died from a mortal injury in his battle with a badger.

So now it's up to Mudstar to finish what Jaystar left behind… supposedly. Jaystar never discussed it with Mudstar since he was mentored by Dapplesky's mother and the she-cat herself was mentored by his own mother, and the two became close as a result.

He would like to leave it alone, but cats were starting to ask (i.e. demand) him to "do something" about Dapplesky. And last he heard, he can't not do anything without cats accusing him of nepotism.

Then Whiteflame and Rabbitear told him about a solution to the problem that could help him or leave his paws tied.


"Everyone old enough to climb trees, meet me at the leader's boulder for a Clan meeting!"

The ruddy-brown tom waits on top of the Leader's Boulder as the majority of SkyClan show up to meet him; queens Swiftbird and Rubblefall appear from the crevice nursery, he can see Dapplesky's white-splashed chest from the shadows of the nursery.

Mudstar glances to the deputy's stone nearby, Whiteflame is looking at the crowd.

Guess I really am on my own, here…

"I've heard of your concerns…" Putting it lightly.

"Don't dance around the subject!" Swallowflight yowls. "We know why we're here, and Dapplesky needs to take her spawn and leave!"

Agreement ripples through the camp, Mudstar knows it's temporary once he makes his suggestion.

"Does anyone share Swallowflight's opinion?"

"I do!" Bumbletail chirps.

"Based on… what?" Brightwater demands. "You know, besides echoing Swallowflight?"

Bumbletail hisses at Brightwater before they hear an outraged yowl; Ashheart is pulling Dapplesky from the nursery by her scruff. The action triggers the she-cats - Redfox, Sunberry and Palesky - to rush up to Ashheart, snapping at his flank, causing him to drop the patched she-cat in the sand.

"Are you insane?!" Snowstripe snarls at Ashheart. "You can't just drag a queen like that!"

"You lose your right to dignity when you mate with a rival cat." Rubblefall remarks, Snowstripe glares at her as she enters the nursery to make sure Dapplesky's kits are okay.

Sunberry hisses at Ashheart's passing frame as Dapplesky stands up, shrugging off Palesky and Redfox from helping. The brown-black she-cat paws are shaking, but she maintains eye contact with Mudstar like an executioner.

Mudstar admires her bravery before addressing the hollow.

"Are you done?" He asks Ashheart and Swallowflight sourly. "Did you get that out of your system?"

Ashheart at least has the decency to look down in shame, Swallowflight merely snorts derisively.

"And Snowstripe has a point. Most of us either have half-Clan blood or ancestors of outsiders, this isn't the first half-Clan litter, so why are we up in paws with Dapplesky's litter?"

"It's against the code!" Swallowflight exclaims.

Mudstar waves his tail. "I've heard that, but what else?"

"She lied about Swallowflight being the father!" Bumbletail said, which actually stumps Mudstar to the point where he nearly falls off his boulder.

Er, what?! When did that rumor come up?!

"Not a chance in the Dark Forest!" Dapplesky protests, looking more disgusted than scared. "I never said that! All I wanted was for the father to be kept a secret, that's something that you all came up with when you weren't satisfied with my answer!"

"And now we know why." Bumbletail sneers.

"What else have you done with Buzzardclaw? What did you tell him?" Icefall questions, more concern about their secrets being told.

"That's none of your business! You have no right to take this out on my kits, they had nothing to do with my decision."

"They're the result of your decision." Swiftbird said. "How much do they know about Buzzardclaw?"

Dapplesky bristles defensively. "That's none of your business."

"Their loyalties will be divided. They run the risk of betraying us for their father in the future." Ashheart explains.

"They might even be tempted to take a mate in another Clan, most likely Wrenkit." Swallowflight says snidely while the majority of the she-cats look at him in mortification and disgust. "Like mother, like daughter."

Mallowstem spits at him. "That's a downright disgusting thing to say about a kit!"

"How do we know if they'll betray us when they're still so young?" Redfox asks. "They could become the most loyal SkyClan cat if we give them a chance."

"Or they could turn on us faster than Tigerstar did to Redtail!" Stormfall objects, which in Mudstar's mind, sounds oddly similar to a certain dark grey tom, despite having no issues with the kits. Patchpaw elbows Stormfall in his ribs and murmurs in his ear.

Mudstar watches on as his patience thins out. This has gone on long enough.

He nods to Whiteflame. The white tom goes behind the deputy's rock while Mudstar approaches the crowd.

"Jaystar was going to exile her. Why are we still discussing this?" Swallowflight demands.

Whiteflame uses his tail to sweep fifteen pebbles out into the clearing; the action causes quiet curiosity until a few senior warriors recognize what it is.

Mudstar gently pushes each rock towards the public.

"In our sister Clan in the mountains, major decisions require the support of the Tribe-cats, with the deciding factor to be the final word of Stoneteller. You'll each take one pebble per cat and place them here."

Mudstar's claw creates two different circles in the sand, he points to the left.

"This will be for those who wish for Dapplesky to be exiled. The right side will be for Dapplesky to stay."

"Why just her?" Swallowflight growls. "You should send all three of them into exile!"

"Oh, shut up! Don't sentence innocent kits to death over your hurt ego, Swallowflight." Palesky retorts.

The brown and black she-cat doesn't protest against it. Instead, she looks over her shoulder to the herd of kits. Hazel-green and mustard yellow eyes were looking at the scene with worry, which made Mudstar's heart clench. No kitten should have to worry about real world issues, especially his mother's fate within SkyClan.

He silently prays to StarClan that this works as each cat takes a pebble, the two apprentices Quailpaw, Brindlepaw and Patchpaw look at the numbers and reluctantly take a pebble which alarms Brindlepaw and Patchpaw's mother, Leafstorm.

"Wait - why do they have to be involved? They're still apprentices."

Whiteflame explains to Leafstorm.

"Patchpaw and Brindlepaw are about to become warriors any day now. They need to be ready to make a decision by themselves once it happens."

Leafstorm still isn't happy with her apprentice daughter being involved in something heavy, but both sisters are actually insulted by their mother's suggestion that they can't have an opinion while they're in training.

The first to make a decision are Swallowflight and Bumbletail (unsurprisingly) choosing to pick the left circle. Ashheart chooses left, Redfox and Brightwater choose right.

Three on the left, two on the right.

Mallowstem, after much deliberating, chooses the right circle. Leafstorm pushes her pebble to the left as did Icefall, making it five in favor of exile out of three in favor of no exile, with nine cats undecided.

The queens (minus Dapplesky) step forward; Rubblefall picks left while Snowstripe chooses right.

Icefall blinks at Snowstripe in shock while she gazes at him evenly, he says nothing. Swiftbird sets her rock to the left.

Quailpaw also chooses left and Brindlepaw chooses right. Quailpaw stares at Brindlepaw in shock, then hardens his gaze, suddenly leaving her side, leaving Brindlepaw confused.

Eight to six, it doesn't look very good for Dapplesky.

That's when Ravenmask chooses the right circle to make it seven and Swallowflight nearly explodes when Mudstar catches his eye. The dark grey tom huffs and turns his head from Ravenmask.

Patchpaw looks at the two circles, uncomfortable with the silence and eyes on her back. For some reason, Stormfall is watching Patchpaw, waiting.

The youngest tortoiseshell she-cat places her rock in the right circle. After that, Stormfall chooses the right circle, too, despite hearing his father's vehemence. Sunberry follows her brother's lead by picking right.

Stormfall pads to Patchpaw, who gives him a reassuring meow.

Ah, that's why.

Within the two separate circles, it's nine against ten. Even when Whiteflame recounts them all, Mudstar's relief courses through his veins, knowing that Sparrowkit and Wrenkit won't lose their mother.

I'm never doing this method again. I can see why Jaystar hasn't even mentioned this.

"As we can see," Mudstar gestures over to the right circle. "The Clan has decided that Dapplesky will stay. Therefore, she remains in SkyClan."

"Owl-droppings!" Swallowflight snarls. "This is rigged! Ravenmask, where was your head?!"

Ravenmask, ever the quiet one, shakes his head in refusal. So Swallowflight turns to Stormfall, who flinches under his father's glare.

"Swallowflight!" Mudstar snaps, fur rising. "I have spoken as well as SkyClan. Hold your tongue before you end up getting exiled!"

The dark grey tom flinches at his sharp tone, eyes wide with shock; Swallowflight has always been a bully growing up, they referred to him as a "small tom with an ego the size of the lake", so he obviously didn't count on him standing up to him in front of all these cats.

Maybe Mudcreek would've avoided confrontation with the tom, but Mudstar won't let him get away with it.

Swallowflight unwillingly dips his head to Mudstar before backing into the crowd, Bumbletail offering Swallowflight words of sympathy.

While Swallowflight is the most vocal, Mudstar can pick up subtle tension in the cats; Icefall and Snowstripe were leaving the camp with bristling fur, Leafstorm is saying something to Patchpaw, who didn't appreciate whatever sentiment her mother said and leaves her to sit with Stormfall and Sunberry, and the former looks better than the initial start.

Mallowstem and Ashheart, who were very close friends, refuse to look at each other while Ashheart passes him to check on Rubblefall. Quailpaw and Brindlepaw were arguing with each other - more so Quailpaw arguing to her. The white patched tom crossly turns his back on Brindlepaw, who's very upset by the action.

While everyone is letting the news sink in, the mews of Sparrowkit and Wrenkit draws Mudstar's attention as Dapplesky re-enters the nursery.

Hopefully this will die down and everyone could move on.

Don't be a bird-brain. This is just the beginning.


Clear Skies, 1st Allegiance

SkyClan

Leader - Mudstar - ruddy brown tom with white front legs, chest, yellow eyes

Deputy - Whiteflame - white tom with blue eyes, ginger paws, right side of face and tail

Apprentice: Patchpaw

Medicine Cat: Rabbitear - light grey tom with large ears and blue eyes

Warriors:

Ashheart - large, dark grey tabby tom, light green eyes

Redfox - ginger tabby she-cat with white black legs and front toes, amber eyes

Apprentice: Brindlepaw

Mallowstem - sand-brown tabby tom, green eyes

Swallowflight - dark grey tom with black brindles, amber eyes

Apprentice: Quailpaw

Ravenmask - black tom with white splashes on face, chest and front body, yellow eyes

Brightwater - light ginger she-cat with darker dapples, copper brown eyes

Palesky - tawny-brown she-cat, white underbelly, under-forelegs, green eyes

Snowstripe - faded white she-cat with grey stripes on her cheeks, and flanks

Icefall - white tom with green eyes

Leafstorm - skinny calico she-cat

Stormfall - solid grey tom with blue eyes

Sunberry - cream-white she-cat, amber eyes

Apprentices:

Quailpaw - brown tom with white patches ranging from medium to small, yellow eyes

Brindlepaw - calico she-cat, green eyes

Patchpaw - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Queens:

Dapplesky - brown and black she-cat with a white chest, yellow eyes. Mother of Sparrowkit (ginger-and-brown tabby tom, hazel-green eyes) and Wrenkit (pale brown she-kit with white flecks on back and flank, white chest, yellow eyes) two moons old

Rubblefall - yellow tabby she-cat with bright amber eyes. Mother of Ashheart's kits. Fallowkit (pale grey she-kit with white patches, green eyes) and Applekit (light cream tom with light green eyes), two moons old.

Swiftbird - mottled grey she-cat. Mother of Shadekit (black-and-grey tabby tom, amber eyes) and Fogkit (blue-grey she-kit, green eyes), two moons old.

Bumbletail - black and white tabby she-cat. Expecting Swallowflight's kits.


A/N: Yup. I'm fully aware that it's been a year since I disappeared.

Thing is, when you're holed up in one place for that long, it's hard to stick with one thing. Which means: my brain is running marathons everywhere but here and it stuuuucks!

The only thing keeping me sane is reading books while randomly writing these stories (as seen on the dates below the title card) so there's a chance that updates will be very slothful since, y'know, life.

At the same time I hope you've found a hobby that keeps you busy during this whole lockdown until you reach a new normal, whatever that looks like. Hopefully it's better than this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I sincerely hope you have a great day. ~ Kyubi