sandface: hi guys! I know I said this one would be updated the least... but well my mind went blank on my Bleach story, so enjoy the kitty story :)
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An icy chill whipped thru the forest as if leaf-bare had come sooner because of the accident. Silkpelt sat beside her lifeless leader, and could only try not to cry out in sorrow. Graystar was both her mother, and leader, and because of that, Silkpelt was appointed to Deputy, even though she was very young.
"How will we go on without you?" Silkpelt muttered as she licked her mother's ear.
Graystar's white fur now seemed to have less of a gleam in it. Both she-cats had silk like soft, shiny fur that no one could forget, nor wanted to. And it wasn't just that that proved the two were related. Both had a perfect circle shaped patch of gray fur with black stripes on it, while the fur around it was white. Silkpelt slowly took her gaze off her mother, to a star that shined the brightest out of them all in Silverpelt. Is that you, mother? Silkpelt thought.
"S-Silkpelt... are you alright?" Midnightfur asked, his voice full of sorrow.
"If I said yes it would be a lie. Tomorrow I have to go to the Moonstone to get my nine-lives... I really wished that I wasn't next in line for leader" Silkpelt replied to her friend.
"You'll be a great leader, Silkpelt. Maybe once you become leader we'll finally be known to the other Clans" he said, hoping it would cheer her up.
Silkpelt only smiled back at him. Their Clan lived very close to Highstones, and yet not one forest Clan knew they even existed. Graystar had once thought of going into the forest, and trying to get a bigger piece of territory, since her Clan was growing at a rapid rate, but a badger took her ninth life before she could. Silkpelt wanted to make her mother proud, so she knew the first thing she had to do after she got her nine-lives; move the Clan out of the farm land.
The sun had not even risen yet, but Gloweyes had already gone to wake Silkpelt. He tapped her softly with his large paw, which woke her instantly. Her lime green eyes met his bright blue eyes for a second until it clicked what was going on.
"Time to go huh?" she asked, her head now hanging.
"Sadly yes, but the Clan needs a leader, and who better than the daughter of the best leader this Clan has had" Gloweyes replied.
Gloweyes was very old, but would not take an apprentice until Wildflower's son, Snowykit, was six moons. Because of his old age, Gloweyes had been around since Graystar had just become a warrior. He remembers when each cat in the Clan had been born even. The Clan didn't have a single elder, since rats and other farm creatures would take their life before they got to that age, but because of Gloweyes age, they didn't seem to need one.
Silkpelt got to her paws, and slowly walked toward the path that took them to the Moonstone. She turned around to see her friends calmly sleep once more, and then continued on, her head and tail held high now.
By the afternoon the gray tabby and light Siamese were on their way home. The second Silkstar was near the camp Midnightfur came running to her side. The two had been friends since they were kits. The day she was made a warrior was the day he and his sister, Heathertail, were made apprentices.
"Welcome home Silkstar" Midnightfur greeted.
Silkstar smiled, and then padded over to a fallen tree. She tried her best to jump to the top of it in a single bound, like Graystar could do, but wasn't succeeding. After a couple of tries she managed to pull her tiny body to the top, and called her Clan to her. Every last cat, including the young kit, came to see their new leader.
"The time has come to appoint a deputy. I say these words before StarClan that the spirits of our ancestors may hear and approve my choice" Silkstar paused for a second to look out at her Clan. On the way home she already had chosen who the deputy would be. "Midnightfur will by the new deputy of LostClan" she finished.
Midnightfur glanced around, and then looked back up at the gray tabby, as if to ask her if she truly meant to call on him. She smiled at the black tom for a second, to show him that she did truly mean that she wanted him at her side.
"We right now have no time for anything else, since tonight is a full moon, and tonight... the forest cats will find out we are here, and we will no longer stay silent!" Silkstar added at the end.
Every cat cheered at the idea. They finally would be recognized! Silkstar looked at each member of her clan, but her gaze rested on Darkheart. Despite her evil sounding name, Darkheart was a kind cat to some. She had been Silkstar's mentor, and Silkstar knew that in the back of Darkheart's mind that she was slightly annoyed that she had not become deputy and then leader. Once some of the cats had gone back to their dens, Silkstar leaped off the fallen tree to speak with Gloweyes. He was sitting next to young Snowykit, who was trying to catch the large fluffy tail that kept swaying from side to side.
"Are you planning on taking the whole clan?" Gloweyes asked.
"I may be young but I'm not insane. Honeyflower has to stay behind because someone has to watch Snowykit, and also she's the only queen out of the two that is expecting kits soon" Silkstar replied.
Before Gloweyes could say another thing, Midnightfur slowly walked up to the three cats. Originally Silkstar thought he was going to thank her for making him deputy, but once Midnightpaw ran up to his side, she knew that wasn't the case.
"Yes Midnightfur?" Silkstar said, slightly annoyed.
"Since Graystar was going to make Midnightpaw a warrior the night she died, I wanted to know when you planned on making him one" he replied, his eyes not meeting hers.
Both black cats had the name Midnight because of their mother, Nightstream, who when Midnightpaw was born forgot that she had a son named Midnight already. It became confusing to many cats, since whenever they began to say either cat's name, both turned around. Another reason why Midnightfur cared so much about his brother being made a warrior was because he was his mentor, even though Blacknight, their father, would have made a much better mentor.
"After we deal with tonight's Gathering I'll test him, and if he passes I'll make him one, if not he'll be made a warrior when Foxpaw is made one. Now would you might telling every cat but Honeyflower to get ready to leave?" Silkstar answered.
Midnightfur nodded, and ran off to find the others, Midnightpaw right behind him. Midnightpaw had a worried look on his face after what she had said, since Foxpaw was two moons younger than he was. Once the cats had gone, Silkstar sighed, and stared up at the sky. It was still hard for her to believe she was now leader, and she would never see her mother again.
By moon rise all four clans were at the Gathering, happily sharing stories and such, unknowing of how different this one Gathering would be. Soon the for leaders made their way onto the High Rock and began giving out simple announcements; a new litter of kits born, a new apprentice or two, and even a new warrior or two. Finally Firestar got his turn to speak, but he didn't have much to say other than one thing he couldn't wait to announce.
"A new litter has been born, my own and Sandstorm's. It's of twin sisters, Leafkit and Squirrelkit" Firestar happily announce.
It was just a matter of seconds after that when another Clan showed up. Silkstar lead her Clan into the clearing, her head and tail held high in pride of her strong Clan. Midnightfur was at the end, making sure each cat got into the clearing with no problem. Once each cat was accounted for, Silkstar and Midnightfur made their way over to the High Rock, and sat at the base of it. Every cat had their eyes on this new, unknown Clan; many were ready to claw them to bits already.
"I am Silkstar, leader of LostClan. We have lived by Highstones for many, many years, and our past leader, Graystar, had always wanted to have out Clan recognized by the forest Clans. Being that it was her dying wish, I have come to finally claim a part of the forest for my own Clan" Silkstar said in a loud voice for all to hear.
"Every clan has traveled to Highstones many times, and not once have we picked up your scent" Blackstar growled.
"Or have you? Our scent blends into the surrounding scents, including the ones of your Clan and all the others" Silkstar replied as she glanced up at the white leader.
"Silkstar, sadly the forest doesn't have enough room for five Clans, it just barely can even hold four, I'm sorry" Tallstar said.
"I doubt that. There has to be one Clan here that has a rather large piece of land that another Clan could easily live on" Midnightfur muttered.
Blackstar heard the black warrior, and let out a low growl. His Clan had the largest piece of land, it was plenty big enough for two Clans, but he wasn't going to let go of even on inch. For a minute there was silence between the five leaders, only the sounds of hisses remained. Finally Silkstar turned around, and stared at all four leaders. The sight of the four was a shock to her; her clan had such normal pelts compared to these cats. One was a normal black and white pelt, but one had leopard spots, another had black paws while the rest of the pelt was white, and the last looked like a flame.
"Until you can find space for us, we will live here in this clearing; it's plenty of space for us. Icestorm, Silverfur, go and bring Honeyflower to this clearing with Snowykit" Silkstar ordered.
At once her two warriors left to bring the last of the clan there. Because that was now settled, the four leaders declared the Gathering was over, and gathered their clans together to leave. Before leaving, Firestar and Graystripe went over to have word with the shiny pelted leader.
"Silkstar, I'm sure we can find a way for your clan to stay here. Since you are also a leader with nine lives, it must mean that StarClan had wanted this to happen" Firestar said.
The whole time he spoke Silkstar couldn't take her eyes off the long-haired tom beside him. Graystripe quickly caught onto her staring, and couldn't figure out why that was; he was just a normal gray cat!
"Thank you... umm... what is your name?" Silkstar asked.
"Firestar and this is my deputy Graystripe" he replied.
"That name suits you well. The black cat beside me is Midnightfur, my deputy" Silkstar said as she glanced back at her deputy.
Midnightfur, being he had a slightly shy personality, shifted his paws in the sand when the two other cats looked over at him. He never liked to be the center of attention for anything, including this. After that Firestar left with his Clan, while Silkstar stayed behind in the clearing with her Clan. Already her clan was making nests to sleep in, and some had even found a mouse or two to eat. Since the clan was already getting use to living in the forest, Silkstar hoped with all her heart that they would be able to stay in the forest as her mother had wanted for the clan.
By morning Silverfur and Icestorm had returned with Honeyflower and Snowykit. The white kit had to sniff every last inch of the clearing before he would even return to his mother, Wildflower. Not long after the little kit had returned to Wildflower, she pushed him aside for a second and went up to her leader.
"Silkstar, you do know that Snowykit is now six moons, right?" she asked in her soft timid voice.
"Oh, thank you for reminding me, if you like right now I can have his apprentice ceremony" Silkstar replied. The truth was she never remembered the age of any cat, but mainly the kits.
"Thank you very much" Wildflower said before returning to her only kit.
When Wildflower was only a mere kit herself, a group of Twoleg kits had taken her from the clan. Somehow after many moons the she-cat found her way home, but ever since then had been very timid and skittish around others.
Once Wildflower had gotten over to young Snowykit, Silkstar tried to jump onto the High rock, only to fail horribly, since she wasn't very good with jumps, due to an old injury from when she was only a very young kit. After around ten or more times, she managed to climb on top, and called her Clan over. Every last cat, except Honeyflower, came out of the nests to find out what was going on.
"Since Snowykit is now six moons, he shall now finally be made an apprentice. Gloweyes has one thing to say before that though, Gloweyes, tell the clan what you had wanted to say" Silkstar said.
Gloweyes slowly hobbled over to the High rock, and then licked his hurting hind leg. "A moon ago I received a sign from StarClan. Not long after I was able to determine what it meant. In the sign, it showed a gray cat as leader, a white cat as a medicine cat, but also a brown cat. Since Snowykit is the only white kit, it means he will be our next medicine cat, while the brown cat will be the destruction of our Clan" Gloweyes explained.
Before anything else was said, Heathertail came running up to Gloweyes, panting as if she had been running for moons. After a second or so of her trying to catch her breath, and glanced up at the large tom.
"Honeyflower... is having her kits... she needs a bit... of help" Heathertail panted.
Gloweyes nodded, and hobbled over to the nest Wildflower had made the night before. Somehow she had found enough twigs and such to have it be enclosed, which was nice for them, but how it was built was hard for Gloweyes to fit threw the very small opening. After a few minutes the large tom came back out into the clearing, shaking his head as if something had gone wrong.
"Honeyflower and her three kits are fine. One of the kits is a silver tabby; another is dark gray... the last is... a brown tabby" Gloweyes said while staring at the ground.