~Three greenleafs ago~

It...it was the first time that the clans had ever lost all of their leaders...all at once.

"Cloudstar, how are you..." A stone colored tom called into the leader's den what was etched into weather worn stone. The tom stared at the pile of snow colored fur. Running over to it and prodding it with a out stretched paw,

"Cloudstar! Cloudstar! Wake up. You have to wake up!" The tom cried out, another cat hearing his cries.

The cinnamon and cream dotted she-cat raced into the room and looked at the crying tom, "What?! What is wrong Slateclaw?" The tom looked at the she-cat but didn't voice a reply. His eyes stated it all.

"No......" The she-cat walked over to her dead leader, her eyes fulling up with sorry, "Why...why are you leaving us." Tears streamed down the she-cat's face as the tom looked at her, nosing her to show he understood.

"Spottedshade, how can he be dead. He just got his nine lives a few days ago," Slateclaw asked as he looked at Spottedshade.

She looked at him and shook her head, "I might be a medicine cat but I......I don't understand why he lost his life when he had just received them."

That was the first time I saw a leader die...just after he had received his nine lives. The other three clans lost their leaders as well. One had three lives left, another 7, and the last...like mine, had been a leader for little more then a moon. I do not understand why the leaders died, when they all had lives left but...since their deaths. I, nor has any other medicine cat, heard from Starclan.

~Two Greenleaf later~

Paw steps could be heard, echoing across the empty camp as the warriors rested and kits lay sleeping in the nursery by their mothers. A single cat was awake to witness the half moon, knowing that it meant that it was time for a gathering of the clans' healers. The tom stopped, it cool slate colored fur shining in the dull light as he watched a cat leave the medicine den.

I heard my leader walking across the clearing that night...and I knew I had to tell him. If I didn't then things could get out of hand later but...what if he didn't understand or didn't want to think of the fact that...

"Hello, Spottedshade, shouldn't you have left by now?" The tom laughed in a calm and steady tone.

"No........" The she-cat walked over to her leader, her tail low and almost touching the ground, "Starclan has disappeared. I, nor any other medicine cat, has heard from them in over three moons. They do not at the moonpool nor in our dreams."

The tom looked at Spottedshade with a almost dumbfounded expression, "They have disappeared?! How?! They have always led the clans so to leave now would destroy us!" Spottedshade looked at her leader, understanding his feelings, but not speaking.

"Slatestar, I........." Spottedshade looked away from her leader, there was nothing she could do. She wasn't going to go to the gathering any more. "There are no more medicine cat gathering at the moonpool. If we receive a sign that says that Starclan is back, then we will start the meeting again." Spottedshade sighed, her cream fur lite up in the moonlight, making her cinnamon fur look very dull and worn.

"But, you can't stop the gatherings, what if we angered Starclan. If that's the case then stopping the gatherings would only make matters worse," Slatestar hissed, his tail lashing as he glared at his clan's medicine cat. She can't stop. Maybe it's a test, YES, that must be it. Starclan must be testing our willingness to go through anything. If stopping the gatherings is the decision of the medicine cats, then...then Starclan will never return!

"Slatestar-"

"NO, YOU SHALL GO!" Slatestar commanded, his voice echoing through the camp, cats stirring to the sudden noise. Several leaving their dens to see their leader. His slate fur was fluffed out and he growled slightly.

Spottedshade looked at her leader, her ears were flat against her head as she watched her clanmates leave their dens. She watched as some kits ventured from the nursery, their fur was fluffed out, their eyes wide with terror at seeing their leader so upset. Spottedshade looked back at her leader and mewed as calmly and steadily as she could, "Please, calm down. What can we do? I am a medicine cat and I know that Starclan isn't there. As much as it pains me to say, the last time I actually talked with Starclan was back when you received your nine. I have sensed them when I went to the moonpool but.....that feeling disappeared three moons ago." Spottedshade stated as her eyes dropped to the ground. Her heart was heavy as she was telling her leader that she believed Starclan had left them and they would never turn.

Slatestar glared at Spottedshade, "If you refuse to follow the ways of the code then you can give up your position as this clan's medicine cat." He watched Spottedshade as she glared at him.

"You have no right nor power to do that. I understand your worries BUT there is nothing that I can do. Starclan is gone. I'm waiting for a sign....but there is nothing," Spottedshade stated, sternly at first but then into a soft and sad tone. "There is nothing more we can do. We can carry on but we will have to go by ourselves and move on."

Slatestar glared at his medicine cat then turned and walked back to his den, his anger was so strong that it could be felt in the air.

My leader didn't leave his den after that. He stated in there and though over what I told him...and sadly I couldn't enter his den to see if he was okay. It wasn't long after that that I was informed that he had died from lack of food and water. I felt my heart break again, I wish I held my tongue so that my clan might have stayed together instead of falling apart in the that it did. It still haunts me...even though there was so little I could do.