Chapter 22

"What do you mean…you don't think you can handle it?" Bubblewing repeated Dreamstar's words, horrified.

The RiverClan leader shook his head sadly, ashamed and embarrassed. "It's too much…too much pressure about…about, well, everything. As soon as a problem arises and the warriors can't take care of it, everyone automatically comes to me," he explained, staring hard at his paws.

"But…that's what being a leader's all about," Bubblewing meowed nervously. "Making decisions for your Clan, leading them."

Dreamstar's paws trembled. "I know, all right!" he snapped, moisture clouding his vision. "But I'm just not cut out for being leader…"

"But…but you've been deputy for so long! You had to make decisions then, too—!" Bubblewing tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen.

"That's not the same! I still had someone to look up to, someone to tell me what to do so I wouldn't have to worry about making the wrong choices!" He shook his head miserably. "But now…there's no one to look up to. Only me."

"Are you saying that…you're resigning?" Vixenfur and Bubblewing swung their heads around to see Sapphirestone, fixing Dreamstar with an unreadable stare.

Pain was evident in Dreamstar's eyes. "I…I didn't…it…" he stammered, kneading the ground uneasily with his paws. Then he suddenly hung his head in defeat. "Yes," he whispered in a small voice.

Sapphirestone kept her gaze for a few more moments, and then turned away completely. "That's fine. I see I was wrong to choose you as my successor. Come quickly, then. Our new leader must be named." She started at a swift pace, and the two she-cats had to leap to catch up. Dreamstar stayed where he was, however, with his head bowed low, unmoving except for the tremble in his shoulders.

Looking back from the troubled leader, Bubblewing asked, "But who will be the new leader, Sapphirestone?"

Without so much as a glance back at the she-cat, she meowed, "You."

Bubblewing's heart seemed to stop. Her eyes widened, and her jaw fell open. "What? But—"

Before she could say anymore, Sapphirestone had hobbled up to Stone Mound, and RiverClan was suddenly listening attentively.

"It seems that our leader isn't strong enough to lead us," she started. Bubblewing thought she was being a little bit harsh on Dreamstar.

Seemingly reading her mind, Vixenfur stated sadly, "She's probably just bitter that she didn't choose the right cat that she trained so well to be deputy after all…"

"…And so," Sapphirestone continued, "let us name our new leader!" She turned to Bubblewing with a smile. "Bubblewing!"

There was hesitant pause.

"But…isn't she on trial?" one cat meowed.

"My opinion on this trial," Sapphirestone meowed pointedly, "is that it isn't so serious that they've had kits, am I right?"

Bubblewing's face heated up. She shook her head vigorously, and heard Coyotefur snort.

"More about this topic will be discussed at the next Gathering," Sapphirestone declared with finality. "But for now…our new leader!"

Instantly, Bubblewing heard Ribbonpaw give a cheer and chant, "Bubblestar! Bubblestar!"

She was frozen to the spot. She couldn't become leader…not without…

"Go," a deep voice meowed from behind her, and nudged her along, up to Stone Mound. She jumped up along with Dreamstar, who cleared his throat.

"I, Dreamstar, am resigning from my role as leader of RiverClan. I'm just…" He took in a shaky breath. "I'm just not meant for it." A yammer broke out among the Clan, but they were silenced with a flick of Sapphirestone's tail. "And so…I give back my nine lives to StarClan, and take back my name of Dreamfur." He looked at Bubblewing. "Please, let StarClan hear me…as I name RiverClan's new leader, my deputy…Bubblewing…who shall soon be known as Bubblestar."

Bubblewing felt moisture threatening to spill over her eyelids, but she blinked them back. She felt very uneasy about how the Clan would react.

There was another hesitant pause.

Ribbonpaw took in a big breath, and shouted, "BUBBLESTAR!"

This seemed to persuade the other cats into chanting her new name as well. They stopped, however, when they realized she wanted to speak.

"Uh-uhm…are you sure you want me as your leader?" she choked out, her voice cracking.

The cats exchanged looks, and some started nodding quickly. A few others joined in a few moments later, but a couple of the warriors stayed stone still, eyeing her disapprovingly.

She smiled at her Clan, touched. "…Thank you," she murmured.

"Then it is settled," Sapphirestone announced. She turned excitedly to Bubblewing, and after quickly rasping her tongue over the she-cat's fur, meowed, "You will make your journey to Moonpool tonight, all right? Receive your name and nine lives."

Bubblewing nodded. She also knew she had to start thinking about naming her deputy. She scanned the crowd of cats, but shook her head to clear her thoughts. Right now, her head was spinning with all that was going on; Dreamstar—Dreamfur—resigning, her becoming leader, her own trial… She thought she might faint, but she forced herself to stay on her feet. She had to get ready for her sudden trip to Moonpool…

Bubblewing stood at the entrance to the RiverClan camp, waiting for her traveling companions to meet her. She had chosen for Ribbonpaw, Mistyleaf and Sheepsong (Sheeppaw had recently become a warrior, along with Cloudpaw and Snowpaw) to come along with her to Moonpool.

The other cats of the Clan were gathering round as well. Some wished their new leader good luck, while others cast her scornful looks. Bubblewing was happy to note, however, that the majority of the Clan was on her side.

Finally, her three companions ran over to her, their eyes lit up. Mistyleaf was happy for her sister, Sheepsong was happy for her good friend, whom she had grown up with, and Ribbonpaw was delighted that his mentor and self-proclaimed mate was becoming leader.

"Ready?" Bubblewing asked, her heart pounding with excitement. The three cats nodded in response, and together they set off on the (rather long) journey to Moonpool.

They had been moving for a long time now. It was nearing sundown, and their paws were aching.

"Ohh…why does Moonpool have to be so far away from RiverClan?" Ribbonpaw moaned angrily.

Bubblewing shushed him tiredly. She felt too fatigued to actually say anything, and didn't want to waste her energy talking to him. Besides, she knew she had to feel grateful that they hadn't run into any trouble with the other Clans.

The sky was a dark, dark orange by the time they got close to Moonpool, and as they trekked up the hill the sky went black and the stars shone around them. When they reached the entrance to the cave, Bubblewing flicked her tail and the three cats behind her stopped.

"Wait here," she ordered. They nodded in unison, and she stepped into the cave.

It was dark in the cave, but the small pool resting in the middle of it seemed to glow, lighting the cave up while at the same time keeping it in darkness. It enchanted Bubblewing, and her heart pounded harder with every step she took on the way to the sacred water.

When she stood at its edge, she stared down into her reflection, at her dark grey fur, the sharp black lines cutting across her pelt, and her bright, yellow eyes…this was the image of RiverClan's leader, now and thousands of moons ago, when the Clans were first established…

Bubblewing slowly and gently lowered herself to the cold stone floor, and touched her nose tip to the cold water.

In an icy flash, everything around her changed. Her eyes fluttered open to a different cave, where nine cats sat around her in a circle. One handsome tom stood up—Riverstar. His eyes sparkled with excitement, as if his dreams were coming true. Slowly, all of the other cats rose as well. Some of them, she didn't recognize, which she thought was strange…

One cat stepped forward, and Bubblewing realized it was Gooseflight.

"Oh, Gooseflight!" she exclaimed. "Fisheyes was so devastated, but she's doing great now. And…I'd like to thank you. If not for you…I wouldn't have met Coyotefur."

Gooseflight smiled at her, and touched his nose to hers. Suddenly, it felt like her insides were rapidly moving in a circle, like a tornado had torn through her body. She didn't know what to do, but knew she was glad when it was over. Gooseflight sat down after giving Bubblewing her second life.

Another cat stood, and though she'd never met the cat, she knew instantly he was Coyotefur's brother. She was stunned, and couldn't find any words to say, so she didn't say anything. Wordlessly, he gave her third life. And when another tom that looked just like the one before, save a few differences, stood, Bubblewing's heart sank knowing that Coyotefur's beloved brothers were both dead. Another wordless life was passed into her.

The next cat to step forward was female, and Bubblewing's face broke into a smile when she recognized she-cat to be Grassfur, Ribbonpaw's former mentor.

"Don't worry, Grassfur," she meowed. "I'll take good care of Ribbonpaw. He'll be a great warrior." Grassfur's eyes were smiling as she touched her nose to Bubblewing's, and the strange sensation happened a fourth time.

Next, a cat that Bubblewing briefly mistook for Coyotefur padded towards her. But it wasn't Coyotefur; it was the cat whose master was Riverstar that was a direct descendant of Coyotefur's. Her beauty took Bubblewing's breath away, and the she-cat was soon sitting proudly again after doing her job.

Next, another cat Bubblewing didn't recognize at first—but as she stepped closer, her instinct told her the she-cat was Leopardstar, a RiverClan leader from long ago, when the Clans first moved their territory to their current lands. Her eyes were stern and almost cold, but they grew softer as she touched Bubblewing's nose and gave another life.

Evergreenclaw came next, and Bubblewing realized her eyes were stinging from seeing all of her dead Clanmates again, especially because she felt that she was responsible for two of the three deaths. She received another life as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Next, two cats that looked exactly like her—one was Riverstar, and the other, she realized after a moment of utter confusion, was herself. The Bubblewing duplicate stepped forward, and she realized that the twin was transparent, like a foggy hallucination. They smiled at each other, and the double reached forward and touched her nose. As the swirling sensation began again, Bubblewing thought she heard the twin mew, "Good luck…I'm very proud."

Finally, Riverstar stepped forward. He gave the final life, and then stepped back.

"I know you will make me proud, Bubblestar. StarClan has chosen you, created you, so that you could protect our Clan with your life, and I know you'll do just that. Can you handle being a leader?" he asked.

Bubblestar nodded confidently. "Yes," was her determined reply.

Riverstar smiled. "Good. I know you'll do well. Protect the Clan. Protect all of the Clans. Remember these words:

A prophecy will be fulfilled after many moons

As chaos is let loose in the forest

That will test the bond of thunder, wind, shadow and river

And though quantity will fail

Quality will be proven and trained."

Bubblestar swallowed hard as she quickly memorized the prophecy.

With a final encouraging smile, Riverstar faded and Bubblestar woke with a start by the edge of Moonpool. She stood quickly with protest from her limbs, and dashed out of the cave, where the three cats she'd brought along sat waiting. When they saw her, they all instantly perked up, and bowed.

"Bubblestar," Ribbonpaw breathed happily. "Now that's a leader's name."

Bubblestar let out a giggle as she padded towards her friends. "Well then," she meowed, "let's go back to camp!"

Sorry if that was a little weak. :/ I know that all my stuff that happened in Moonpool wasn't right, but…I just mixed my imagination with what I remembered from when Firestar was made leader :P I hope you all liked it anyways. The next few chapters will be more interesting, I think, plan, and hope! X) Please review, thank you! OH, and PLEASE tell me WHO YOU THINK SHOULD BE DEPUTY!

A) Runningsky

B) Nightfur

C) Mistyleaf

D) Or even Sheepsong, maybe?

If you have another suggestion, please let me know! :)