It was the day after CheerStar got her nine lives from StarClan. The camp was settling down below the High Branch, the place the leader stands to address their clan. CheerStar stood tall, watching the gathered cats and taking deep breathes. CottonTail walked out of the warriors den and sat beside LightHeart, StormPaw, SunTail, and SunTail's apprentice, TinyPaw. Tonight, CheerStar was supposed to choose the new deputy. No cat knew who she was to choose and from the looks of it, neither did she.
"May all the cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the High Branch for a clan meeting. Tonight, as most of you know, I shall choose the new deputy to take my old place. I thought very carefully of who to choose and I believe StarClan agrees." She scanned the cats, as if making the choice then and there, "CottonTail, come forward." The crowd gasped, some in horror, some in defiance, and some just pure in shock. CottonTail gasped too, not believing what his ears had heard. Reluctantly, his paws still stood up and carried his body below the High Branch.
"With the power of StarClan, I present to you the new deputy, CottonTail." She looked at him, "do you swear by StarClan you will honor, fight, and serve your clan?"
"I do." He replied. The cats were silent, staring at CottonTail in shock when a huge rumble in the distance shook the ground.
"StarClan refuses!" A cat from the crowd shouted, "they do not except the new deputy!" GingerTail stepped forward from her place on a branch lower than the High Branch.
"A storm is just a storm sometimes," the she-cat defended, "it is not always a sign from StarClan." A couple hisses of disbelief rose from the cats but none shouted out.
"Thank you," CheerStar thanked the tabby. "If StarClan shows any more signs, I will appoint a new deputy. Until then, you are to treat him as you treated me." The leader alighted from her spot and trotted to her den, a whole below the tree.
CottonTail stood as well and went to the warriors den. LightHeart and SunTail followed him and as they entered, they saw two cats, DappleFur and GlistenFur, sitting side by side, sharing tongues. "Look what the cats dragged in," DappleFur stopped to mock, "another cat, useless and untrustworthy."
GlistenFur sat a while, not sure of what to say, it seemed. Then she spoke, "if CheerStar chose him as deputy, I'm sure we can trust him." DappleFur snorted and walked out of the den, his tail held high in defiance. "Don't bother with him," she continued, "he doesn't like... Newcomers." CottonTail started to begin the cats of SunClan trusted him, but with DappleFur running around, spreading rumors, and even in the clan, he will never achieved the trust he needed.
He sat in his mossy bedding with LightHeart and SunTail near. Thoughts of the bad things that had happened started to flood his mind. There were still cats in the medicine clearing from the fight between the two clans. He may get kicked out of the clan. He still has to figure out a way to stay with SmallEar. When his mind started to calm down, he began to fall asleep.
...
The night had engulfed the cats of the forest as the full moon had shown brightly over them. It was the night of the Gathering at Garden Maze, a place where the four clans meet in peace for one night. CheerStar had already gone to the Glow Stone and received her nine lives from StarClan. Last night, CottonTail became deputy, but still, some of the clan did not trust him. The cats she chose to go tonight included; CottonTail, LightHeart, SunTail, RedFur, YellowTail, BrightPelt, StormPaw, ShinePaw, ShimmerPaw, and the elders FlameFur, BlazePelt, and HalfTail.
With CottonTail and CheerStar at the front, they went into the forest towards Garden Maze. They had to pass SkyClan territory, in which they bumped into the SkyClan cats on the way. Traveling together, CottonTail saw SmallEar and CopperStar catch up to them to take their place at the front. "Hello CottonTail," SmallEar mewed.
"Hi SmallEar, how's the clan life going?"
"Well, SkyTail just had kits and CloudStorm is a proud father. How about you? Why are you at the front?"
"I, uh, became deputy," CottonTail replied. SmallEar's whiskers twitched.
"Oh, good for you," She glanced at him worried. Suddenly, she side-stepped towards him and bumped him down into a shallow valley. As they were stumbling, the two leaders stopped.
"You two okay?" CopperStar asked.
"Yep," CottonTail responded, "what was that for?" He whispered turning to SmallEar.
"We needed time to talk. So, how's the plan? You know, to be together?" SmallEar meowed.
CottonTail stuttered, "to be honest, I'm not quite sure. Your not going to like this but being loners actually slipped my mind, as well as just having it be a secret." SmallEar twitched her ears in dismay.
"CottonTail, how are we going to be together if we are both to become leaders... Which clan will we stay in? I can't leave my father's, and I suppose you can't keep flip-flopping loyalties. Especially now that you're a deputy..." SmallEar whined. CottonTail thought for a moment.
"Any comments on being loners?" CottonTail brought up. SmallEar seemed annoyed at his thought but simply meowed;
"Maybe, it's a very big change and two deputies leaving, that might really effect clan life."
"You two done having social hour?" RedFur questioned, sliding into the valley, "odd place to talk in my opinion."
"Uh- we were just waiting till the two clans passed to make sure the elders weren't stragglers." SmallEar said.
"Cool, but ShimmerPaw and I are the caboose.
"Thanks," CottonTail added, "see you at the Gathering." He slid up the slope with RedFur and SmallEar behind him. Once they traveled a little farther, they crossed the two-leg bridge and passed SilverClaw and her friends' abandoned two-leg farm house. Right now, they are probably sharing stories about their old clan loves and/or eating delicious prey. 'After all, SmallEar and himself could be in there,' CottonTail thought, 'peacefully living amongst themselves and their friends.'
Once they reached the front of the group, they approached the Garden Maze. There were four entrances. One had a sun carved into the sand by SunClan cats. Another had a cloud shape which showed the symbol of CloudClan, and the other two had a moon which resembled MoonClan, and lastly one a square with clouds, the sun on the West, and the moon in the East in which was the SkyClan symbol.
CottonTail had been to multiple Gatherings before but never in SunClan. When the two clans split up, they entered through the sun-symboled entrance and followed a path. Suddenly, CottonTail could smell the mixture of MoonClan, CloudClan, SkyClan, and his clan, SunClan. They took a right turn and found themselves in a beautiful clearing with flowers and trees and birds. CottonTail followed CheerStar and said goodbye to SunTail and LightHeart. They went up a rock that was glossy and poked out of the ground. CottonTail stood by the other deputies, SmallEar, NightShadow, and FluffTail.
NightShadow was an all black cat with golden eyes. His muscles were tense as he was standing straight and tall. FluffTail, the CloudClan deputy, was gently grooming himself. He had long fur that was matted in clumps and his tail was bushy and clean. He was all white and his eyes were a light blue. SmallEar was listening to the noises around her and seemed somewhat alert. Her beautiful eyes darted from one side of the clearing to the other.
"Let the Gathering commence," AlphaStar, the MoonClan leader announced. Just then, FrostStar, the CloudClan leader stepped forward. He explained how SoftPaw had become the new medicine cat apprentice and WhitePelt was taking care of new kits named SilkKit and FogKit. It seemed as though the battle between the four clans never even happened. Clan business was addressed and that included CottonTail's new rank. The MoonClan leader stepped forward once more to talk about something other than normal clan life.
"We have found kittypets wondering in our territory," he began with a snarl, "many a moon. We have killed all the ones we have found. All but one." CottonTail froze, a kittypet with a warrior-like skills? AlfaStar continued, "his name is Rascal." CottonTail couldn't help but feel like he recognized the name... Rascal... He repeated to himself... SilverClaw's brother!