They were all seconds from betraying her. Bluestar knew it as surely as she knew her own paws. She padded through the forest, shooting her angry gaze to the queens warming their fur in the greenleaf sun and kits playing nearby. The she-cat sighed, walking towards Sunningrocks with her icy eyes remaining on Goldenflower and her kits.
"Bluestar." The ThunderClan leader slid to a halt, seconds from crashing into Spottedleaf. The tortoiseshell she-cat sat with her tail resting on her paws, and her eyes troubled. "I must speak with you- it's very important."
"Spottedleaf," Bluestar hissed, "you liar! You're just as big a liar as the rest of StarClan! You told me fire would save the clan, and it has almost destroyed me! First there was the ThunderClan fire, then Fireheart himself! Explain yourself!" She narrowed her eyes, daring the former medicine cat to speak. Spottedleaf opened her mouth to reply, then clearly thought better of the situation. Her eyes lit up.
"When you exiled Fireheart, Bluestar, you changed the course of fate. Not even StarClan know what the future holds." She paused, licking her lips and briefly staring at the ground. "What was meant to be never will..." What was the forest suddenly turned into Four Trees. Bluestar gasped as she saw a hill of bones nearby. Suddenly the scent of blood flooded into the clearing. The ThunderClan leader turned, watching with horror as a wave of blood reached up to the top of one of the oaks. Bluestar crouched down, tightly shutting her eyes and waiting for it to engulf her.
"Do not fear," murmured Spottedleaf. She padded forward and tapped her former leader's shoulder with her tail. "Look."
Opening her eyes, Bluestar gasped in shock to see a cloud of fire holding back the wave. The blood began to get smaller and smaller until it was gone. "How..."
"Do not fear for the future, Bluestar." Spottedleaf began to fade. The world around Bluestar was growing darker with the seconds. The leader yelped in terror as she started to fall... "You must appoint a new deputy. Trust me, the right one is closer than you think."
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All of StarClan lay in the middle of Four Trees, talking softly and sharing tongues as they awaited the return of Spottedleaf. The tortoiseshell pushed her way through two holly bushes, instantly receiving the attention of every cat.
"Well," a black WindClan elder called, "how'd it go?!"
The former medicine cat started with how she lied to Bluestar over Fireheart's destiny, moving on to the wave of blood and ThunderClan's need of a deputy. In the end, all was silent.
"Wait a second," Redtail muttered, "she won't choose the right one!" His tail lashed in anger; Spottedleaf tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"What do you mean?" The medicine cat slid to the ground as Redtail approached her.
"I mean," he began, "that you know who she'll choose. It's more than likely that Fireheart will remain in WindClan. Who do you think a cat angry at StarClan like Bluestar will choose if that happens?"
Terror flooded through Spottedleaf as the truth of Redtail's words sunk in. "No... Not him!" Redtail hung his head as silence as the knowledge of what was to come sank in the rest of the clan.