A/N: Hello again, reader! This is the chapter where the allegiances are your best friend. And you may be wondering: 'How does CinderClan get involved in this? Is Cinderstar another Cindercarnation?' Well, reader, CinderClan doesn't really get involved until SOMEONE *looks at Paul and Chi* tells some rogues about clans. That's how CinderClan is made. Cinderstar is not a reincarnation, she's just a regular kitty cat who is a bit of a mix between Leopardstar, Bluestar and Tallstar. Ashstar's gonna act pretty motherly because- spoop da boop- before she was deputy, she gave birth.. To Reedstar's kits.

Three cats stood among the trees, each keeping to their branch. The only female, a fluffy grey tabby, was the first to speak.

"ThunderClan are late again."

A grey and brown tom spoke up.

"I know, Whisperstar. It is a harsh leaf-bare, and even my cats can barely keep up with it."

A very small grey and white tom was the next to speak.

"Perhaps we should start without Reedstar."

The grey and brown tom hissed, his fur puffing.

"Nonsense, Tinystar! He's getting older as well. If I were a normal warrior I'd be in the elder's den."

Whisperstar scoffed playfully.

"Dogstar, your Sniff is showing."

The three leaders chuckled to themselves, the red-ginger fur of the final leader leaping up beside them.

"Sorry for being so late, fellow leaders."

Reedstar's amber eyes scanned over the various gathered clan cats.

"Shall I start the gathering?"

The other leaders nodded as the ginger tom stepped forwards.

"StarClan has sent me a sign. Tinystar, Whisperstar, Dogstar, you must give up your Clans and leave the forest."

Gasps were heard from the gathered cats, the three leaders hissing. "You're mad." Tinystar took a step back. "Madder than a fox in a fit!"

Reedstar took a step towards the small leader. "It is StarClan's wish. Have clouds covered the moon? Have StarClan opposed my words? I think not."

Dogstar took a glance at the sky; Reedstar was right, StarClan hadn't covered the moon. No clouds were in his sight. Smokecloud, Emberstripe, Oddfur and Ashpelt looked up at their leaders, eyes wide. Smokecloud, a dark grey tabby she-cat with white spots, was the first of the deputies to speak.

"I have served ShadowClan for many moons, Reedstar. I am sure Ashpelt and the others will agree when I say that you have gone fox-in-a-fit insane." Ashpelt, a dilute tortoiseshell she-cat, nodded slowly.

"Reedstar, I ask that you stop this at once. I'll stop you myself if I have to." Reedstar leaped down from his branch, landing in front of Ashpelt, his pelt bristling and claws gleaming in the full-moon's light.

"You dare oppose your leader? And I call you a deputy!" Ashpelt dodged as Reedstar's front paws slammed onto the ground where her shoulder were a mere moment ago. The three leaders leaped down from the tree to stand in front of their respective deputies, pelts bristling. No cat dared look up, but if they had, they would have seen dark clouds. If any cat wasn't too shocked to pay attention to the weather, some would have noticed the coming storm. The leaders and deputies stood frozen for a few heartbeats, Reedstar's eyes glaring at the other clan leaders, the deputies looking on with wide eyes. Suddenly, the space around the leaders widened as Reedstar launched himself at the three leaders, rain dripping on every cat's pelt. Whisperstar caught Reedstar head on as Dogstar lept onto the ginger tom's back, Tinystar biting Reedstar's tail. The four cats fought on as the storm emerged, thunder booming. Cats huddled in close groups, the deputies sitting tightly together, silently debating if they should enter the fray. Suddenly, thunder struck the leader's tree, the four leaders and clans quickly halting in horror as the tree bore down on them, crushing the leaders underneath it. The clan cats panicked, separating the deputies and asking multiple questions to the medicine cats. A Thunderclan elder with wiry grey fur and broken, curled claws was the first cat to talk to Ashpelt, his hazel eyes wide.

"It's a sign. The clans must not fight! Reedstar was the badger in the set. All clans lost a leader tonight, you must become leader!" He was shoved aside by a dark grey tom with bright amber eyes and a grey and white tom with yellow eyes.

"Twistedfur, go see Oakfeather. He'll take you and the others back and give you all poppy seeds and thyme. Ashpelt, we're so sorry. We know how much you admired Reedstar's courage." The grey and white tom spoke up, his voice barely going over the thunder.

"Sister, I know how distraught you are tonight. Maybe Cedarclaw and I can sleep in the leader's den with you tonight, to keep you company?" Ashpelt nodded rigidly, shoving her face into her brothers' pelts.

"Rabbitstep, Cedar, you two are the best littermates a deputy could ever ask for." The four deputies backed away from their clans, standing beside one another. Emberstripe, the plump orange tabby deputy from RiverClan, was the first to speak.

"Before we return to our camps, we all must speak. We have all witnessed what happens if we go against one another. This is a harsh leaf-bare, especially now, when the Clans are suddenly leaderless." WindClan's deputy, a small calico tom named Oddfur, stepped forwards.

"But fear not, my cats! My fellow deputies and I have faced many hardships together- most of you remember The Great Hunger merely four leaf-bares ago. It is a shock to see Reedstar's insanity, but we must stick together. I propose temporarily moving all clans to the island, so that we may never make this mistake in our leaderships." Smokecloud nodded gently, walking up to a dark brown tom with white feet.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of ShadowClan is Whitefoot." Ashpelt was next, stepping forwards to face a bright white she-cat.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of ThunderClan is Icefur."

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of RiverClan is Cedarstripe." A brown tabby and white she-cat stepped forwards proudly, her cream chest puffed out.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of WindClan is Silverstorm." A fluffy blue-silver tom with black feet nuzzled Oddfur, purring happily. A StarClan warrior appeared before them, a dark brown tabby tom with glowing dark olive eyes.

"Greetings. I am Addertail. StarClan has sent me to verbally approve of your wise decisions, young leaders. I was given orders to tell you to go to the moonpool immediately." He turned to leave, one paw in the air. "I also have a prophecy. When the shade and bird find their true selves, each clan will melt into spirits."