Icestar stood on the tall-rock, overlooking the clan before him. Below, Brindlekit and Ryekit had shiny pelts and glowing eyes.

He whisked his eyes across the clan, trying to remember who he chose as the she-cats' mentors. He closed his eyes, 'Riverclaw and Darkrose,' repeating the names in his head a few times. He soon cleared his throat.

The splotches of different colored cats seemed fuzzy, and blurred to Icestar. He took nothing to it and went on.

"Troutclan, we have two kits ready to take on the-" He broke into a bad cough, his legs pushed apart and his nose almost hit the ridged grey, grass spotted rock under him. After the fit, he picked up his head.

"The task of being apprentices."

Looking at his blurred clan, he had to squint his eyes till they were small slits to see their worried expressions.

"Ryekit, Brindlekit, will you uphold the warrior code and be loyal to your clan-" He coughed for a second before continuing "-even at the cost of your life?"

The two sisters spoke in unison, "I do."

"Then, I name you Ryepaw, and Brindlepaw, Ryepaw your mentor is Riverclaw. Brindlepaw, you have Darkrose."

The two shes split up to touch noses with their new mentors, their new friends.

"Dismissed,"

Was the last thing Icestar spoke before his world turned black.

~~~~

Redleaf pulled his father's scruff, huffing, surprisingly the leader was heavier than he looked.

"I knew he should've retired earlier." Applewillow muttered, grabbing some herbs and taking them over to meet Redleaf.

"My father might be daring and ignorant, but whatever his choice may be, I will stand by his side."

Redleaf set the white and black leader on a soft feather and moss nest.

Cloudpaw trekked into the den, his ears perked.

"What happened to him out there?"

"Passed out" Applewillow replied to her apprentice. "His breathing's quick and short, hopefully he's not dying."

Redleaf already seemed scared, not because of what the two medicine cats were saying, but because he remembered what Icestar had told him when he was just an apprentice.

~~~~~~~

Wind swept through the leaves of the lush green forest, the wind pushed into the red tom sitting by the river's face. Redpaw dipped his head and licked at the water.

Icestar walked over and sat by his son, putting his tail over his shoulders and licking his ears.

"Son, there's something you must be aware of and accept." Icestar spoke, looking back at Whiteriver, his mate, for a moment before turning back to Redpaw.

"What is it?" Redpaw squeaked. Lifting his head to look at his father.

"When my time comes- sense your mother and I are older- I want you to accept it, and let me go."

Redpaw stared at his father, then nodded, swiping his tongue on his shoulder he meowed; "I will." Before turning and bouncing to his mother.

~~~~~~

Now, Redleaf stared at Icestar's figure, his flank rose and fell, but it got quicker and slower each time the white leader breathed.

"Let me through!" Redleaf turned his head at his mother's - still song-like - meow.

Whiteriver pushed past Applewillow and Cloudpaw to stand by Icestar and Redleaf. She looked from Icestar to Redleaf, then sat down.

"Icestar.." Whiteriver muttered, watching her mate's body slowly move.

"It's okay, dad, let go." Redleaf licked his father's ears, and with that plead Redleaf gave his father, - only so he wouldn't be in anymore pain - Icestar's white and black body stilled, and Whiteriver stared at her dead mate.

Whiteriver yowled, and wobbled out of the den, yowling so all the clan could hear.

"Icestar's gone!" She yowled, repeating herself before she collapsed into tears. The clan gathered around her and looked at the medicine cats' den. Redleaf dragged Icestar's body out and laid it in the middle of the clan.

Taking turns, everyone shared tongues with the fallen leader. Afterwards, Applewillow and Cloudpaw escorted Minnowflight to become leader. Ivoryhawk's tail flicked, and she sighed. Watching the trio go before turning her gaze back to Icestar's corpse. Her brother, Redleaf, walked over and licked her shoulder, to which she hissed at him.

"He's gone, and the three who left are probably dead too! You might die! I might die! Starclan we're all going to die!"

The clan silently stared at Ivoryhawk now, before they retreated and Whiteriver and Steadypounce took Icestar's body to bury.

RedLeaf blinked and left camp, Ivoryhawk staring after him before snarling and retreating into the shadows.

RedLeaf Walked through the dark forest, turning his head he saw Steadypounce kicking dirt onto where he and Whiteriver wept, "first my first litter, now my mate!"

"You're second litter is still alive. Ivoryhawk's next in line to be leader. You're legacy will not go unforgotten." Steadypounce retorted, Whiteriver narrowed her eyes at her friend. Then sighed and started back to camp. Steadypounce looked back at the grave, whispered something, then walked after Whiteriver.

RedLeaf shook tears from his green-yellow eyes and started back to his hideout.

For moon, RedLeaf had felt forgotten. His old apprentice Applewillow didn't listen to him, and all his patients would look towards Applewillow or Cloudpaw for help.

Now, with his father's death, and his deep depression coming back. RedLeaf felt no other way.

"Like how I overheard Sedgefang, slice your neck, quickly." He unsheathed his claws, "in your last breaths take a Paw of blood and put it by your head. To look like a murder." Sedgefang was a chocolate brown cat with white tabby marks, she was beautiful, RedLeaf loved her. But Sedgefang dealt with depression after being abandoned by her whole family and no one believing she could do anything. Sedgefang had killed herself, and told RedLeaf how he could do it if he wanted to be with her.

"I'm coming, Sedgefang."

~~~~~

Sharppaw walked through the shadowed forest, his paws barely touching the ground. All the bad things happen to the good cats... Sharppaw thought, why? He focused his eyes on the low hanging branches and lush bushes near the stream separating TroutClan from Doveclan. He closed his eyes, purring softly at the calmness of this area. Everyone in camp were yelling about how Icestar died, and who to blame. It was just an illness, am I the only one that knows?

He noticed a dark ginger pelt, similar to Redleaf's, his ears perked and he rushed to the color.

"RedLeaf! RedLeaf it's Sharppaw! We need to talk!" His eyes widened as he noticed the body wasn't moving, and blood poured from the medicine cat's neck.