It had been another two sunhighs since Swiftstar made her last move as leader. The move had sent a a ripple of protests around the clan.

"She's barely three moons old!" Adderblaze had protested right after Swiftstar spoke.

"You're breaking the warrior code!" The elder Stripepelt meowed. Then he added, "Swiftstar, it's not like you to break the code. "

The cats began protesting loudly at their ill leader.

"SILENCE!" Lightfire's yowl rang across the clearing. The cats stopped meowing, but their glares at the young she-cat wasn't friendly. "I support my mother, and I agree with her. I believe that there is a reason why Swiftstar would like to apprentice Skykit early." Lightfire turned towards Swiftstar. There was no hostility in her tone, "Tell us your reason."

The ThunderClan leader spoke. "I noticed that Skykit is not a normal apprentice. During the battle with WindClan, she had joined the battle, and could fight a full grown warrior without many help. I believe that she is talented and the sooner she begins her apprenticeship, the better."

The cats began yowling a protesting again. Finally, Redpelt meowed, "how about we let Skykit train for a day and see if she can manage it?"

Soon, ThunderClan tuned down in an agreement. Lightfire would teach Skykit a few battle and hunting techniques, and the clan will determine if Skykit is skilled enough to be an apprentice.

Skykit turned to be quite talented. She mastered all Lightfire taught her easily and quickly. All of her clanmates eyes widened, saying that she must have powers of the stars. Everybody now cheered for her to be apprenticed.

Nightpaw tried not to envy her, but he wished that he received the same response when he summoned blue and green flames. All his clanmates meowed was, "What you did is dangerous! You should be exiled and all!" Except for Sunpaw, Nightpaw thought. Sunpaw meowed that it was cool and didn't want me to get exiled.

But Swiftstar's death made the ThunderClan cats' hearts filled with sadness. She died yesterday, near sunset.

Nightpaw watched as the elders took Swiftstar's body to bury it. He let out a sad meow.

A tail tapped lightly on Nightpaw's shoulders. "You and Fawnmist are going with me to receive my nine lives." Redpelt meowed.

Nightpaw nodded, seeing Swiftstar's body one last time.

~

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highledge!" Redstar's yowl ran across the clearing.

The cats stopped what they are doing and gathered beneath their new leader. Redpelt had received his nine lives successfully. He also received his new name, Redstar.

"First," Redstar meowed, "I would like to acknowledge Swiftstar, who had been ThunderClan's loyal leader for many moons."

Nightpaw listened to the acknowledgment silently. "Secondly," the new ThunderClan leader continued, "I think that Skykit is to be apprenticed now. She have proven herself worthy of an apprentice."

No cats protested this time. So Redstar continued the apprentice ceremony. Skykit, now Skypaw, touched noses with her  new mentor, Lightfire. The clan cheered out her name.

Skypaw retreated into the crowd of cats, but Redstar was not done with his announcements. "Now for our new ThunderClan deputy."

Nightpaw glanced at Shadewatcher. Does Redstar still want his to be his deputy?

"Ambershine, would you take the responsibilities of being a deputy?"

Nightpaw's father dipped his head respectfully. "I am honored."

My father is deputy! Nightpaw blinked at Ambershine. I'll be deputy too one day. He thought, No, I'll be leader. You would be proud of me.

"Also," Redstar meowed. "The gathering is tonight. The apprentices that are going are Nightpaw, Branchpaw, and..." He paused, as if unsure if his clan would approve of his next word, "Skypaw."

Nightpaw's pelt bristled with excitement. My first time going to gathering!

Next to him, Sunpaw's head drooped. Nightpaw placed his tail on her shoulders. "Don't worry." He meowed. "You'll for sure get to go next time!"

His sister looked at him. "Yeah." She meowed. Nightpaw could tell that she was trying to stay positive.

~

Nightpaw paddled across the log. He gripped the bark with his claws, trying to not slip. "Do you need help?" He asked Skypaw.

Skypaw shook her head. "No thanks, I'm doing fine."

"Yeah. She's doing fine, don't put your whiskers into other cat's businesses." Branchpaw meowed ahead.

Nightpaw bit back an insult. I was just being nice! Also, he didn't get why Branchpaw didn't taunt Skypaw, like how he did to the other apprentices.

"It's okay, Branchpaw, he's just being nice." Skypaw meowed. Nightpaw's pelt bristled with irritation. Skypaw did nothing wrong, but for some reason her supposedly nice words struck him like thorns.

The cats stepped onto the gathering island. The ThunderClan cats entered the clearing where the gathering begins. The full moon glimmered brightly.

Windclan, Skyclan, and Shadowclan had arrived. The cats talked to each other while waiting for RiverClan.

"There are so many cats!" Skypaw exclaimed.

Branchpaw pointed his tail at a group of apprentices. "Let's go over there." Nightpaw felt that what he just meowed was for Skypaw, but he decided to follow Branchpaw anyways.

But then he noticed an Skyclan apprentice alone, close to a group of warriors. I wonder what she's doing there. Nightpaw decided to talk to her. After all, no one deserves to be alone, right?