Blocked Moon

Yeah, in my opinion, FAIL NAME D:. OH NOES. Oh well. So. . .   It focuses on the four deputies from the four Clans and their mysterious pasts. ~Eevee (Please DO NOT edit this section. It is my fan fiction and no one but me has the right to continue it. Thank you.)

.:Chapter 1:.
Berrytail dropped the soaked moss at the entrance of Whitestar's den. "Whitestar?" he called softly. His leader was whispering something. "Whitestar!" he meowed louder.

Whitestar's head snapped up and she yowled, "It's my fault! It's all my fault you're dead! Forgive me!" She reared onto her hind legs, and crashed down onto the floor.

Berrytail squeaked in alarm and ran to Whitestar's side. She looked unconcious. "What in Silverpelt? Whitestar, wake up!" He shook her with his paws.

The dirty white she-cat blinked her eyes open and mewed quietly, "Burrpelt? I'm sorry. It's my fault you died." Her voice cracked. Berrytail was surprised. Burrpelt was an elder, and he had died of starvation. So why did Whitestar think that he was a dead cat? He did look like Burrpelt, with the same spiky tan fur and watchful amber eyes, but he was certainly younger than Burrpelt. "It's not him, Whitestar. It's Berrytail, your medicine cat."

Whitestar stumbled closer, and then she sighed. "Oh. You." She dragged herself back to her nest. Then she started to whisper harshly. "It's my fault, it's my fault. I didn't give you enough food or water. Forgive me. Please?" Then her head snapped up. "What forgiveness can I expect from StarClan? They know I killed my mate.  So why don't I join them?" She placed a claw to her throat.

"No! Whitestar, don't" Berrytail yowled, trying not to panic. He leaped, taking Whitestar's claw away from her throat. "You've got one life left. You must enjoy it."

"''Enjoy it?" ''Whitestar sneered. Her fur rose. "Knowing I murdered a cat? No. Want to hear a list of things that happened while I was leader? Emberblaze's hind legs were broken, so she could barely walk. Then the drought killed her and Stripepaw. Then Burrpelt died because of me, and Frogleap drowned. Rainstorm lost her tail against those two dogs, and Appleblossom died falling into the gorge. See? I'm a curse to ThunderClan!" Without another word, she slipped out of the den, her dirty white tail disappearing.

Berrytail couldn't believe what had just happened. His leader had lost faith in herself.

.:Chapter 2:.
''Whitestar headed to the medicine den. She ''knew exactly what she was going to do. Tigerstripe nodded, a thrush in his jaws, but she didn't acknowledge him.

"Whitestar? Where are you going?" a voice behind her meowed. ''Rainstorm! ''

Whitestar whipped around to face the tortoiseshell. "Why don't you mind your own business!" she snapped.

Rainstorm winced, and looked away. Then she grabbed a large squirrel off of the fresh-kill pile. "Here. You must be hungry, in your den all day."

Why don't you leave me alone, annoying, mouse-brained ''furball! ''Whitestar wanted to say. But instead she mewed coolly, "I'm not hungry. You must be missing training, anyway, Tiny! Where's your mentor?"

Rainstorm dropped the squirrel and turned tail, running off.

"Mouse-brain." Whitestar muttered. She continued to go to the medicine den, quickly this time. When she reached it, she sniffed around. ''They have to be here somewhere. . . ''Where would Berrytail hide them? Where kits couldn't get them, of course! She looked in a hole in the wall. There they were, enclosed in a leaf. She dragged the leaf out carefully and uncovered the deadly berries. Tigerstripe, Longtail, and Redwing, Redpaw at the time, had used them to kill the snake threatening them a moon ago. It looked like Berrytail had forgotten to dispose of the leftovers. The glossy berries held enough poison that one could kill an adult cat. Unless they were given yarrow. Most of the time.

''Deathberries. Perfect. A quick death. ''Whitestar was about to take one into her jaws until a starry figure stopped her. A cat stood in front of her, a ghost of a tom. Who else would come to her at her moment of near-death? The one she'd killed. Burrpelt.

"What are you doing here? Come to watch me die? Go ahead." Whitestar snarled.

"No . . ." Burrpelt's voice was strong, not the weak, quavering voice he'd had before his death. "Don't, Whitestar. You didn't kill me . . . It was . . . my time to die . . . I was suffering. No cat wants to suffer. Please, keep living for me. Whitestar, this is your decision," he added as Whitestar opened her mouth to protest. "No cat can make it for you. Think of how Snowsky would react. If you keep on living, I'll support you until the end". He paused. Then he finally asked, "Are you suffering?"

Whitestar looked at her paws. "Yes."

"Then you can join me, my love. I'll wait for you. Just . . . Try not to feel any pain." Burrpelt looked away, and then touched his nose to Whitestar's. Then he was gone in a white mist.

Whitestar looked at the deathberries. Did she want to do this? Then she took one in her mouth, and stabbed it with a tooth. Red juice spattered all over her white fur. She swallowed, and ate the other four. She suddenly collasped. She panted hard, and foam dripped from her lips, she flailed her limbs, sheathing and unsheathing her claws in pain. She saw a ghost cat. A StarClan cat. Burrpelt.

A cry erupted from some cat, but Whitestar didn't try to look. She just closed her eyes, took her final breath, and was plunged into blackness. A spirit cat was all she could see. ''Have you come for me, Burrpelt? I love you, no matter what. ''A strange feeling of peace washed over her, and she slowly went unconscious, until she couldn't feel herself at all. ..

.:Chapter 3:.
Redwing padded down the ravine, folllowed by his apprentice Skypaw, Starlingsong, and his apprentice Jaypaw.

"Good hunting, you two." Starlingsong praised the 'paws. Their eyes shone.

Skypaw was carrying a large sparrow, a mouse, and Redwing had to carry her rabbit. Jaypaw was carrying two mice, a squirrel, and a small thrush.

Redwing spat out the rabbit. "I bet that's all fluff and no meat!" he purred.

Starlingsong glanced at his apprentice. "They're shaping up well, aren't they? Time they became warriors?"

Redwing shrugged and opened his mouth, but a terrified yowl cut him off. A tan-colored cat was scrambling around blindly. ''Berrytail? What in the name of StarClan. . . ?''

"She's dead! Oh, StarClan, she's ''dead!" ''Berrytail cried. He ran straight into Jaypaw, making him drop all of his catches.

"Hey, watch it!" hissed Jaypaw.

Berrytail didn't seem to hear him. "She's dead, Redwing!"

"Who's dead?" Redwing meowed in alarm.

Berrytail's cry was now a whisper. "Whitestar . . ."

"How!?" Starlingsong gasped. His gray-and-brown fur was fluffed up.

"You know those deathberries we used last moon to kill the snake?" Berrytail's voice shook. The two warriors nodded. "Well, she ate the remaining berries! Now she's dead!"

Redwing couldn't believe that his leader had killed herself. "Go and get the vigil ready. Night is about to be here."

When he got to camp, cats were buzzing around the edge of the clearing as Berrytail dragged his leader to the clearing. He headed back to get some other stuff. Redwing didn't know much about medicine stuff.

Skypaw looked horrified as she placed her prey onto the fresh-kill pile. Jaypaw did the same.

Starlingsong said, "Why did she do this?" Fright danced in his eyes.

Thunderdancer and Joltflight were talking to each other sadly. Tigerstripe, Longtail, and Snowsky were staring wistfully at their dead leader. Aurastorm was heading into the warriors' den, throwing a last glance over his shoulder. Pounceleap had his head hung low, and Silverwind lay with his head on his paws.

Redwing knew the vigil would start about now. Berrytail announced, "As you know, Whitestar is dead. She was an honored old leader, wise and full of courage. But that has come to an end. We are here to honor her." With a glance at Redwing, he added, "Redwing will travel to the Moonstone tomorrow. He will go as a deputy, come back as a leader!"

"Redwing! Redwing!" the cats chanted. There was no enthusiasm, though.

Redwing sat vigil for Whitestar all night. So did Rainstorm, Tigerstripe, Longtail, Snowsky, and Cougarfrost, Rainstorm's kit.

.:Chapter 4:.
Redwing and Berrytail stepped over the WindClan border. They were heading to the Moonstone so Redwing could become leader. Redwing tasted the air. A WindClan patrol. He cast a glance to see Greenmoor, the deputy, and Tornfur, the medicine cat, streaking toward them. Greenmoor was screeching a challenge, while Tornfur struggled to keep up.

Greenmoor bowled him over, yowling. "What are you doing on WindClan territory, intruder?" she hissed.

Redwing spat back, "Going to the Moonstone, mouse-brain!" He pushed Greenmoor off of him and leaped to his paws.

"Well, you'll have to wait! I'm going first!" Greenmoor streaked off, down the path leading to the Moonstone.

"Hey! Not if I get there first!" Redwing rushed off after her.

Redwing and Greenmoor both arrived at the same time. But they were surprised to find Mothermouth blocked off, a Twoleg monster near the mouth of the cave. It growled ferociously, and its eyes flashed in anger. It charged toward them.

Greenmoor yelped and leaped out of the way of it. Redwing hissed and followed.

Tornfur caught up, panting. Berrytail followed. "What happened?" Tornfur exclaimed.

"A stupid monster tried to attack us and eat us." Greenmoor grumbled.

"Were you scared, O mighty WindClan deputy?" Redwing teased.

Greenmoor hissed at him. "Don't you know that Volestar's dead? He died two days ago."

Berrytail gasped. "Our leader died yesterday!"

Tornfur meowed, sorrow in his eyes. "Whitestar? I thought she would live for at least another moon. Same for Volestar."

A flurry of pawsteps startled them. The RiverClan deputy Bluewater was padding side-by-side with the medicine cat Graycinder. He stopped when he saw the ThunderClan and WindClan cats. "What in StarClan is going on here?"

Berrytail mewed, "You heading for the Moonstone?" When Bluewater nodded, he said, "That means Miststar is dead . . . When did she die?" he suddenly asked.

Bewildered, Graycinder mewed, "Yesterday. Why?"

Redwing explained while the RiverClan and WindClan cats listened.

When he finished, Bluewater's eyes were wide. "Wow. That's creepy." he breathed.

"Or," Greenmoor pointed out, "it's just a coincidence."

"A coincidence that our leaders died on the same day?" Redwing hissed. "How can that happen? Oh, I know! A sudden cough that hates leaders so it affects them, not other more vunerable cats like kits or elders? Perfect sense!" He flicked his ears.

"Hey, what are you doing?" A small she-cat was racing toward them, a bigger she-cat trotting behind her.

"It's not the half-moon, medicine cats." Bluewater meowed, his tone even.

"Medicine cats? Oh. I'm the deputy of ShadowClan. She's the medicine cat." the small yellow-orange she-cat explained, twitching her whiskers in annoyance."

The ShadowClan medicine cat nodded. "Yes. Yellowpool and I are heading to the Moonstone so she can get her nine lives from StarClan."

Yellowpool stalked up to the other deputies. Up close, she was half their size. ''The size of Skypaw. ''Redwing thought. "You have a problem with that?" she hissed.

Graycinder dipped her head. "So . . . Cinderstar is dead."

Berrytail dipped his head, too, but then it shot up. "Wait. She's dead, too!?"

Yellowpool tipped her head to one side. "Yes. Why?"

"Our leaders are dead, too . . ." Greenmoor's jaws gaped. Then she shook her head.

Yellowpool widened her eyes. Then she just meowed, "Well, I'll go back since the Moonstone is blocked off. Come on, Truesong. I'll come when I know that the Moonstone is unblocked, got that?" she hissed over her shoulder as she bounded off. Truesong followed.

Bluewater shrugged. "I'm going, too." He padded to RiverClan's territory, followed by Graycinder.

Greenmoor turned her attention back to Redwing. "You need an escort back to Fourtrees?" she sneered.

"I know perfectly well where Fourtrees is!" Redwing spat. He turned and made sure Berrytail was following. He was thinking all the way back to camp. ''Has the Moonstone been blocked off before? And why didn't StarClan tell about the barrier? Does StarClan think I won't be a good leader?''

.:Chapter 5:.
''"Stupid Twolegs blocked the Moonstone!" Yellowpool ''hissed as she stalked back into the camp.

"Yellowstar? Is something wrong?" a voice asked. She turned to see the warrior tom, Darkfur.

Yellowpool sighed. "My name's not Yellowstar. It's Yellowpool." She prepared for a lot of explaining and protests.

"Yellowpool, not Yellowstar?" Darkfur echoed, then he snapped his head toward you. "Did you not get your nine lives on purpose? Did StarClan not accept you as leader?" His dark tail swished.

"No and no." Yellowpool mewed. "Twolegs blocked the Moonstone. Can't get to it," she added with a shrug.

"So . . . You can't appoint a deputy? You're still the deputy!?" Darkfur yowled disbelievingly.

Cats streamed from the dens. Frozenwhisker and Hollowtail poked their heads out of the medicine den curiously. (They were recovering from greencough.) Icekit and Stormkit tumbled out of the nursery, but Cloudchaser caight them and took them back inside. Foxpaw stepped out of the apprentices' den, yawning. Toadleap, Squirrelshadow, and Mosspaw were back from patrol, placing their prey on the fresh-kill pile and followed each other to face their deputy. Limptail and Applefall wandered out of the elders' den, yowling in complaint.

"Did Darkfur say that Yellowpool is not leader?" one cat, Hollowtail, coughed.

"StarClan don't accept her!" another cat cried in fright.

"That can't be true! Yellowpool is a loyal deputy!" an apprentice objected.

"What do you know about deputies? You're an apprentice!" a warrior hissed in anger.

The ShadowClan cats started yowling at one another, batting at each other with their paws.

"QUIET!!!" Yellowpool raised her voice to be heard above the challenging hisses. Her Clan turned and stared at her.

"She's already turning into Marshstar . . ." a cat muttered.

"Demanding and evil." another agreed.

"I'll explain to you all." Yellowpool meowed. "The cats that aren't gathered here join us now!" A few warriors and Cloudchaser and her kits came at the call. "The reason why I don't have nine lives is because Twolegs blocked Mothermouth. Of course, with that, they blocked the Moonstone too."

Gasps rose from the listening cats.

Yellowpool continued, "I won't be able to speak with StarClan for a while, or get my nine lives. Nor will the other deputies. But I will still apoint a deputy. And that deputy will be-"

"Wait!" a cry erupted from a cat. The other cats parted to reveal Darkfur. "A deputy appointing a deputy? Have you all lost your minds!? Only a nine-lived leader can have a real deputy! If this is what ShadowClan is coming to, it is not a Clan. Only a bunch of mouse-brained furballs! I am out of ShadowClan." he spat the last word out. Darkfur headed toward the exit and his dark tail was swallowed up.

The Clan was silent. Yellowpool spoke slowly, "Darkfur has left us. He was a good warrior . . . Only an event like this could've gotten him to leave." The Clan then dipped their heads.

"Well, who's the new deputy?" Squirrelshadow called out.

"The new deputy will be . . ." Yellowpool's mind whirled. Who should she choose out of the senior warriors? She listed who she should choose. ''Squirrelshadow, Toadleap, Nightfur. Aha! I've got it.'' "Toadleap will be my deputy." she announced.

Toadleap looked up. "What!?"

Squirrelshadow leaped to her paws and nuzzled Toadleap. "Nice! Now you're deputy!"

The Clan chanted Toadstep's name. "Toadstep, Toadstep!"

Toadstep ignored them. "I-I never thought . . . H-How . . . ? M-Me? Deputy?"

Yellowpool tipped her head. "Yes, you heard me." Doesn't he want to be deputy?

Limptail limped over to meet him. "Good job, youngster!"

To Yellowpool's surprise, Toadstep seemed frustrated. He rushed out of camp. The Clan stared after him. Limptail looked surprised.

"Great StarClan, don't say he's leaving, too!" cried Stripepaw. His sister Longpaw preesed against him.

"Is it an omen, StarClan?" Yellowpool barely heard Truesong's question. The medicine cat shook her head and whisked to her den.

Applefur and Limptail padded back to their den and slipped inside.

More coming soon!