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Nightfrost- Congrats! And, I'll do both of your characters, seems cool :)!


Crosspaw woke the next day, eyes shining. She glanced to her side to see Leopardpaw snoring away. She prodded him with a paw and smirked, "wake up sleepy slug." She teased playfully. Leopardpaw blinked open his eyes, turned towards Crosspaw. "Hey, I had Dawn Patrol and Night Patrol yesterday." He grinned, shaking out his messy fur. Crosspaw pawed his leg. "You're so dirty!" she proclaimed, Leopardpaw shrugged, "I guess."

Crosspaw huffed and rolled her eyes teasingly, she leaned over and nosed the dirt off of his body gently and carefully, to not get it stuck to her instead. Lionpaw entered the den, nudging Crosspaw away from Leopardpaw, his gaze conflicted. "Your mentor is calling you, Crosspaw." Lionpaw told her, eyes narrowed. He obviously didn't like the fact that Crosspaw and Leopardpaw were getting close. Crosspaw nodded and left the den, tail flicking.

Smokepaw dashed in instead, her spirit bubbly. She halted in front of Leopardpaw and lied down next to him. "Wanna go hunting?" she asked the other apprentice, sending him her best "cute" look. Crosspaw glanced backwards, a bit confused at why she felt as if her heart was tugging towards the tom. Smokepaw showed a lot of liking for him, and Crosspaw didn't know whether she cared, or is she felt hurt. Crosspaw shrugged off the thought, this was her sister. She shuffled her paws on the ground, and sat down.

Lilypaw was watching Aspenlight from a nearby bush, she suddenly burst out, and trampled over to the deputy. Her fur was freshly groomed, from the looks of it. And she seemed starstruck. Aspenlight grinned and the two continued their usual conversation, but this time they had a weird connection. Crosspaw didn't understand what was going on, and turned away from the two cats. Rainstorm entered Camp, fur shining and eyes bright. Not like the time she had been stuck in the nursery.

Aspenlight rose to his paws, and padded over to Finchstar. "Um... Finchstar?" he called in softly. The leader glanced over, and stepped towards the deputy. "What is it?" she asked earnestly. "Well, I was thinking about it. And I don't make a very good deputy. I'd like to step down," his gaze dropped from Finchstar and his head drooped. "I understand, and I wont try to stop you." Finchstar frowned. "I'll make the announcement now," she strode out the den, and leaped onto Jagged Peak. Calling together the Clan.

"Aspenlight has asked me if he could step down from his role of deputy-ship. And I will not try to change his mind. This was his decision, and I trust in him that he knows what he is doing." Finchstar announced, glancing to Aspenlight. He nodded and dipped his head to Finchstar gratefully, seeing that she had faith in what he had wanted to do. "So that means I must pick a new deputy. And that cat will be...

Rainstorm."

From the corner of Crosspaw's eyes, she could see Lionpaw fuming. His fur stood on end, and his tail was lashing. While his fur bristled slightly. "That's outrageous!" he yowled, leaping over to the foot of JaggedPeak. "She doesn't deserve it!"

Finchstar blinked. "Why do you think that?" the old leader asked, her tail flicking contently. "She hates Crosspaw for having that scar on her face! It isn't her fault! She is really rude to my sister, and I wont stand for it." The tom whipped around to his mother, teeth bared. Leopardpaw leaped over, eyes narrowed. "If you force the Clan to turn on her I swear to CloudClan I will rip your-"

"That is enough." Finchstar snapped curtly. "Everybody back to your duties."

Rainstorm hissed at Lionpaw, and turned to Crosspaw. "You'll be exiled in no time." Her mother grinned, and stalked towards Finchstar. Crosspaw watched, but regained her attention and adjusted it on Lionpaw. "You didn't have to do that you know." She glanced over to Leopardpaw, and flushed. "I did what I did, and I'll accept whatever consequences I'd get from Finchstar." Lionpaw mewed bluntly. "Same with me." Leopardpaw added, before heading towards the apprentices den. Lionpaw followed close behind, tail flicking.


That whole day, Finchstar allowed Crosspaw to do nothing but rest. She told the apprentice that she could have a couple days off from training, as well as Leopardpaw and Lionpaw. Pinepaw had caused some chaos on purpose, and forced Finchstar into making him stay out of hunting or training, and he had to clean out the dens. "Hey, Crosspaw." Pinepaw smiled, entering the apprentice den to clean it up. "Hi." She said rather quietly. "How are you?" he asked, settling down beside her. Crosspaw flinched at seeing him so close, but calmed down afterwards. "My hateful mother just became deputy how do you think I feel?"

"You're scared, aren't you." Pinepaw murmured, before shrugging. "Don't worry, she wont do anything now that Lionpaw and I will help."

"Leopardpaw too, right?" Crosspaw whispered, glancing straight at Pinepaw. His eyes flashed with a brief sign of hurt and hatred for a moment, before his eyes regularized. "I guess. But he really can't do much." The other apprentice smirked, and turned towards the den to begin cleaning. "Wanna help?" he asked, and rubbed his body against the wall. "Sure." Crosspaw shrugged and began pawing at some dirt. She enclosed her claws around a tree root and gripped it mildly. Before tugging it out of place. Pinepaw took this as a chance of play and leaped up, nipping it out of her paws. "I got it!" he chirped and pounced away. "I'll get that back!" Crosspaw chided, bounding over to Pinepaw. Leopardpaw watched, eyes narrowing slightly. He couldn't help but feel jealous. He rose to his paws and stalked over, tail flicking irritably. "Can I play?" the tom asked. "No," Pinepaw frowned, staring at his brother. "I'm just taking this out to the dirt-place and leaving it there. Then I'm just going to continue cleaning. We aren't doing anything you mouse-brain." He huffed and stomped off, angry that Leopardpaw once again, interrupted him in a moment of close-time with Crosspaw.

Leopardpaw blinked, but said nothing. "Sorry." He murmured to nobody in particular, before trudging towards the apprentice den. Crosspaw followed behind him, but made no noise. She settled down in her nest and rested her head on her paws once she realized Leopardpaw was only going to sleep.

What just happened? She asked, confusion sparking in her eyes. Her orbs made out a weird shape through her eye circuit, and she shut them before she saw something weird. And the sounds of birds chirping slowly lulled her to sleep.