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Chapter 16

"Stormpaw!" Snowpaw hissed, smacking the blue-gray tom with her paws. "STORMPAW." She bit on his tail. Still, he did not rise.

"Stormpaw, Rainstripe said he loves you." Snowpaw meowed.

"He did WHAT!?!" Stormpaw screamed, jumping up and hitting his head on the roof of the apprentice's den.

"Kidding." Snowpaw rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Flamestar's gonna announce the gathering patrol."

Stormpaw glared at her and shook the moss from his pelt.

Outside, Flamestar was standing on the Highledge, shivering slightly. Snowpaw felt a cold breeze touch her pelt and couldn't help but shiver as well.

"Tonight is the night of the Gathering, and maybe we will find out the reason for Wildlegs' disobedience. Now, the cats who are attending are Lionmane, Oakpaw, Bramblepelt, Sorrelheart, Rubyheart, Stormpaw, and Snowpaw." Flamestar called.

"Looks like Pinepelt couldn't persuade Flamestar to let his brat of a son come." Snowpaw mewed snidely to Stormpaw, who yawned.

"Well, we'll be leaving in a bit, try not to kill Oakpaw while I'm eating something." Stormpaw told the white and ginger she-cat as he headed to the fresh-kill pile. Snowpaw rolled her eyes.

"Feeling lucky, rouge?" Rainstripe's jeer made Snowpaw close her eyes and repeat over and over in her head one phrase.

He's dumb, I'm not. He's dumb, I'm not. He's dumb, I'm not. Snowpaw opened her eyes and looked disparagingly at Rainstripe. "What was that?"

"Just because you're going to the Gathering doesn't make you any more of a real clan cat." Rainstripe hissed. "Inside, you'll always be a filthy scavenging rouge."

"Just like you'll always be a stupid, pampered, annoying, and obnoxious brat." Snowpaw shot back, smirking as Rainstripe snarled. "Oh, where's your daddy now?"

"Just you wait, rouge." Rainstripe hissed. "You're going to get exactly what you deserve…" His words trailed off as he stalked off.

Snowpaw scoffed, rolling her eyes again as Stormpaw returned.

"Hey. What's up?" He asked, licking his lips.

"Rainstripe said he wants to tell you he loves you more than life itself." Snowpaw nodded as Stormpaw fell over, imitating vomiting.

"You are such a liar!" He choked.

"Liars are odd, and odd is unique, which is the same as awesome, and so I am awesome." Snowpaw smirked.

"That makes no sense!" Stormpaw protested.

"Sense? Who needs it?" Snowpaw asked, smiling widely.

"I do!" Stormpaw snapped.

"You need to make sense to exist?" Snowpaw asked quizzically.

"Yes!" Stormpaw exclaimed.

"Then by your definitions, I do not exist." Snowpaw nodded wisely.

"What?" Stormpaw blinked.

Snowpaw fell over, and then slid over to the medicine cat's den, out of sight.

"Hah hah, very funny!" Stormpaw called after her.

"I have succeeded!" Snowpaw bolted out of the den, and in a running tackle, she sent Stormpaw flying into Thistlepaw, who smacked into Darkpaw, who slammed into Oakpaw, who yelled angrily.

"Watch it, rouge!" She spat angrily and stalked off.

Snowpaw rolled her eyes again. "When are they going to realize that that isn't insulting anymore?"

"Probably….Never?" Stormpaw asked.

"Winner, winner!" Snowpaw cheered sarcastically.

"Ooh, Flamestar's getting ready!" Stormpaw mewed when a screech of pain sounded from the nursery.

"What was that-?!" Snowpaw was nearly flung into the air as Gingerblaze bowled her over.

"Swirlsplash!" Gingerblaze shrieked, running to the nursery entrance. Tawnyflower followed him, and there was another cry of pain.

"Barkpelt?" Drizzlepaw asked as the brown tabby headed for the nursery. "What's happening?"

"Swirlsplash's kits are coming." Barkpelt muttered, vanishing into the den.

"…NOW?" Snowpaw hissed to Stormpaw.

"Yes, now." Stormpaw smacked her on the head with a paw. Snowpaw tackled him and sent him plowing into the ground, leaving him spitting dirt.

"You win! Lemmie up!" Stormpaw mumbled.

"ThunderClan!" Flamestar called. "We can't be late for the Gathering! Our medicine cats can take care of the kits. Let's go."

Snowpaw let Stormpaw up, and the pair followed the ginger tom out of camp, Snowpaw wincing as she heard Swirlsplash let out another pained cry.

The Island was full of cats, mainly RiverClan and ShadowClan. WindClan was late, which worried Stormpaw and Snowpaw. Was something bad happening with Breezestar?

"Hey." The familiar voice rang in Snowpaw's ears as Nightpool, followed by Olivepaw and Applepaw. The pair of apprentices were looking a little bit nervous.

"Nightpool." Snowpaw dipped her head, looking at Olivepaw. "And you two."

"Friends of yours?" Stormpaw asked Snowpaw, rolling his shoulders.

"You could say that." Nightpool shrugged.

"Kinda." Snowpaw looked up at the Great Tree. Ebonstar was chatting animatedly with Flamestar, and Pebblestar was just sitting on his branch, only visible due to his bright yellow eyes.

"Where's Breezestar?" Olivepaw asked, also looking up at the tree.

Snowpaw and Stormpaw exchanged worried looks.

At that moment, the scent of WindClan arrived. Snowpaw peered over the heads of the other cats to see if she could spot Breezestar's brown and white tabby form heading the group. But she only saw Gustfur, and the medicine cat's head was bowed with grief.

"What's up with them?" Stormpaw hissed. "They look like-"

He didn't finish his sentence, for at that moment, a brown and black tabby tom leapt up onto the WindClan branch, his yellow eyes shining.

"That's Wildlegs!" Snowpaw gasped, remembering the warrior from her first tour of the WindClan border. "What does he think he's doing!?"

"Where's Breezestar?"

"Violeteyes isn't here either!"

"What are you doing, Wildlegs?!"

Wildlegs let out a thunderous yowl that silenced the crying cats. "Enough!" He shot the other leaders a look that challenged them to question him.

Flamestar broke the uncomfortable tension. "Well, Wildlegs, could you please explain what you are doing up here?"

Wildlegs bowed his head. "I have sad news to tell all of you. While out hunting, Breezestar and Violeteyes, along with myself, chased a rabbit into an old badger set. The set collapsed on top of them, Breezestar told me to run. When I looked back, they were completely buried. I returned to camp, distraught, and Mintpaw-" He indicated a tiny brown she-cat with white paws, her bright green eyes shimmering with- Fear?

"Mintpaw said that she had received a sign from StarClan designating me as the next leader." Wildlegs nodded smugly.

"If she actually said that, I'm a badger." Snowpaw muttered.

"Shh!" Stormpaw hissed, as Flamestar nodded.

"Have you received your nine lives and your name?" Pebblestar growled.

"That's none of ShadowClan's business." Wildlegs snarled.

Pebblestar spat angrily, his tail lashing. Ebonstar chuckled uneasily. "Well, then, RiverClan wishes you good hunting and a happy leadership!"

"Thank you." Wildlegs said coldly.

The tension in the air was almost so thick Snowpaw could barely move. She couldn't believe that StarClan would have chosen this piece of fox-dung to lead WindClan. There was a low rumble, and Snowpaw looked up. Storm clouds were gathering in the distance. "A storm is coming." She murmured.

"You've got that right." Stormpaw replied, eyeing Wildlegs as Pebblestar began to speak of a fox attack near the Twoleg nest.

Snowpaw nodded, feeling sick. She felt like there was something tugging at her, making her turn her head. But there was just Oakpaw. What was up with her, anyway? Snowpaw shook her head and shuddered.

"RiverClan had a small spat with some rouges." Ebonstar looked uncharacteristically uneasy. "They were passing through our territory, didn't know the borders were there for a reason. We sent them off, and I think that's all. Wildlegs-Er, Wildstar, would you like to say anything?"

"As a matter of fact, I would." Wildlegs growled. He turned to Flamestar, bristling. "ThunderClan has been far too arrogant these past few moons. You've been hoarding your territory, and WindClan has had enough!"

The ThunderClan cats below yowled with anger and indignation. Snowpaw snarled in indignation.

"What are you saying, Wildlegs?" Flamestar snarled.

"I'm saying that ThunderClan is going to get trouble. I'm gonna make sure that your territory will soon belong to the best clan by the lake!" Wildlegs hissed.

"Where did this come from?" Snowpaw hissed.

"How should I know?" Stormpaw growled. "He's insane! WindClan couldn't beat ThunderClan in a hundred seasons! And he knows that!"

"Why are you doing this, Wildlegs?" Flamestar asked, and it was obvious that he wanted to attack the arrogant tom. "Breezestar-"

"Breezestar is dead!" Wildlegs spat. "This is my clan now!"

Shocked yowls suddenly rang through the clearing as a wisp of cloud drifted over the moon. Snowpaw shuddered. The cloud had looked like something out of a nightmare, or a half-remembered dream…

"Please, Wildlegs." Flamestar's voice was no longer threatening or angry. Snowpaw could barely hear it, but it was- Pleading? "Don't hurt your clan for something that happened so long ago."

"It isn't that long ago to me, Flamestar!" Wildlegs hissed. "Every day, the scar of it burns me! You and your clan will pay in blood!"

Leaping off of his branch, the WindClan tom stalked over the tree-bridge, followed by his clan. Silence reigned, and Snowpaw felt like she was about to explode.

Why is this happening?