Hey sorry for not updating! I had to reteach Dovesong the rules about fanfiction. So let's get started with the story shall we?
It was a clear night with the moon shining brightly. The ThunderClan cats were running swiftly through the territory.
Lionblaze was excited. This was his first Gathering as the new deputy and he now got a seat at the base of the great tree.
Bramblestar was in an excellent mood due to the rapid growth of his new kits. Although they had been born only the day before, the kits had already opened their eyes and had started walking.
Lionblaze was glad that Bramblestar was now caring for his kits. It seemed only right. A father should care for his kits.
The thought of fathering kits pricked his mind. Did he want to become a father? Lionblaze wasn't sure of that but he figured that if he and Heathertail had kits, they would be the best kits ever.
Lionblaze wrenched himself out of his thoughts as he saw the large tree bridge. He walked across it confidently, no longer afraid of falling like he once was.
A sharp cry of alarm made him twist his head around. Shimmerpaw was slipping off the bridge and her sibling, Smokypaw, was trying to drag her back.
Lionblaze quickly jumped over to them and with a grunt, pulled Shimmerpaw back onto the bridge.
The white apprentice walked with shaky legs over the bridge. When she reached the end, Shimmerpaw flopped down with a sigh of relief.
Lionblaze couldn't help but purr. It reminded him of when he was an apprentice, first going across the tree bridge.
He padded over to her. "It's a little scary the first time but after a while, you'll get used to it," he reassured.
Shimmerpaw stared up him with large eyes full of gratitude. "Thanks for saving me," she meowed.
Lionblaze flicked his tail over her ear and pushed himself into the clearing where the Gathering was held.
He looked for Heathertail and immediately spotted her next to Whiskermask. He was about to run over to her and explain about the DarkClan meeting when a gray tom with two darker paws came over to Heathertail and started to purr and press himself against her.
Anger rose up inside Lionblaze. He padded stiffly over to the three WindClan cats.
"Oh hi Lionblaze!" meowed Heathertail in a false cheerful tone.
"Hello Heathertail," replied Lionblaze, going along with her we-are-just-regular-friends-nothing-more act.
"Umm this is Emberfoot. Maybe you met him before," Heathertail mewed, introducing the gray tom.
Emberfoot glared at Lionblaze with an obvious challenge in his eyes.
"You two are friends?" the gray warrior growled. Heathertail nodded quickly.
"Yes we knew each for a long time," she meowed rapidly. Emberfoot licked her ear making Heathertail twitch.
Lionblaze felt a flash of satisfaction when he saw Heathertail squirm away a little farther from Emberfoot and a little closer to him.
Emberfoot noticed too and opened his jaws to speak. Just then, Bramblestar ran up to Lionblaze.
"The Gathering is about to begin. You should go and sit by the roots," the leader explained.
Lionblaze nodded, thanking Bramblestar silently. He followed Bramblestar to the tree and sat down.
The other deputies, Reedwhisker of RiverClan, Ashfoot of WindClan, and Rowanclaw of ShadowClan nodded when he joined them.
"You're deputy now?" asked Rowanclaw. Lionblaze nodded.
"Congratulations!" purred Ashfoot, her eyes shining. "I'm so proud of you!"
Lionblaze wondered if the WindClan deputy was proud of him because he was her grandson but he threw the thought out.
"Let the Gathering begin!" yowled Mistystar from the tree.
The cats from all of the Clans gathered around and became quiet.
"I will begin," mewed Mistystar. Lionblaze rolled his eyes. The RiverClan leader had become so annoying nowadays.
"Prey has been running well and we have a new warrior. Fishpaw has now become Fishleap," announced Mistystar.
"Fishleap! Fishleap!" cheered the cats. Lionblaze looked around for the new warrior and saw a small silver tom looking very proud.
Mistystar stepped back and Onestar took her place.
"We have two new apprentices in the Clan. Windpaw and Sandpaw!" yowled Onestar.
"That's me!" squealed a dark gray she-cat from the WindClan group.
The cats all purred. Lionblaze's heart flew to his throat when he saw the two apprentices. They looked almost identical to Crowfeather and Leafpool.
He realized that these apprentices' parents must be his own parents which made them his siblings.
His thought was proven to be correct when Lionblaze saw Crowfeather scold the she-cat.
"Prey is running well in ThunderClan. However we have lost our deputy, Birchfall," meowed Bramblestar.
The cats started whispering so Bramblestar hurried on. "Our new deputy is Lionblaze!"
"Lionblaze! Lionblaze!" cheered the cats. Lionblaze felt proud as he saw all of the cats call his name, congratulating him.
He spotted Heathertail and saw a flash of understanding and pride in her beautiful eyes.
Lionblaze felt a certain gaze prick him and he looked around. That's when he saw them.
Crowfeather and Leafpool were together looking at him with the same message in both of their eyes, We're proud of you Lionblaze. Serve your Clan well.
Lionblaze gave a stiff nod in return and then looked away. His heart was pounding. There were several emotions in his heart right now. Anger? Thanks? And possibly… forgiveness?
"We have two new apprentices and two new warriors. Swirlycloud, Robincry, Shimmerpaw, Smokypaw!" yowled Bramblestar.
The cats called out the names. Lionblaze heard a warrior say, "Wow ThunderClan has a lot of new cats. They might attack us."
Annoyance stabbed at him. It really did annoy him when stupid warriors said stupid things.
"Also, my mate, Squirrelflight, gave birth to two kits yesterday!" continued Bramblestar. "She has a litter of two kits, a tom and a she-cat. We have named them Firekit and Rushingkit!" meowed Bramblestar proudly.
Yowls of "Congratulations!" and "I'm sure they'll grow up to be like their parents!" filled the clearing.
Then Bramblestar stepped back and nodded towards Blackstar to indicate that he was finished.
"ShadowClan has nothing to say," meowed Blackstar.
"Then this Gathering has finished! May StarClan light our paths until we meet again!" yowled Mistystar and jumped off of the tree.
The rest of the leaders followed and the cats started to separate. Lionblaze caught a glimpse of Heathertail and squeezed his way past the cats towards her.
"Dawn!" she blurted out before following the rest of her Clanmates.
Lionblaze nodded to show that he had heard and then went towards ThunderClan.
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