A New Star

[Azalea]

The camp was in chaos.
Shadedstar was dead.

Crystalstream leapt calmly onto the Highrock, blue eyes calm and composed, as usual.
"Cats of ShadowClan!" she began, loudly enough for the camp heard her, but she was not shouting.
"A great tragedy has struck our Clan. Shadedstar is dead, and the Clan mourns him. But we cannot let that keep us back. We need a new leader."

She hoped they would hear her. She had never really been popular in camp, except for the usual one or two toms following her now and then. (xD) But that was to be expected.
She had no real friends. Would StarClan not accept her as leader?
It would be horrible if they didn't. Rejected by StarClan!
Crystalstream shuddered at the very thought.

Her mind snapped back to attention, and Crystalstream sat quietly on the Highrock, waiting for her Clan to come and accept her as their new leader.
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[Zelda]

Blackclaw hurried back to camp at the words 'Shadedstar' and 'dead.' The tom's mind was racing. Shadedstar? Dead?! He hurried to watch Crystalstream from beneath the Highrock. His claws unsheathed, and dug into the ground. "How?" he asked, not as a threat, but as a real question.

Molepaw almost forgot to breathed, and coughed when she heard the deputy's announcement. She wheezed for a few seconds, then took a deep, shaky breath, then flicked her tail at Lightwind to follow her. "Oh....n-no..." she breathed. She stumbled to sit next to her father, leaning on his large frame. "Blackclaw...is it true?" she asked quietly.
Though Gingerpaw didn't panic. She hardly took notice.

ooc; I bolded it for a reason... Maybe Gingerpaw has something to do with it? >>; I have to have one evil cat.

[Azalea]

Crystalstream frowned, obviously not enjoying the question.
"I'm not quite sure." she meowed after a moment.
"Patrols reported that he was found dead in the forest. We have yet to find the cause of death. Lightwind, would you please check that out? Thank you."
Turning back to her Clan, she continued her previous speech.
"As you all know, the deputy succeeds the leader. Therefore, I, Crystalstream, will take on the post of leader and continue Shadedstar's legacy. We must all remember him and honor him."
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[Mirepaw]

"Good riddance," were the first, unstoppable words out of Frozensky's mouth. She hadn't bothered to come out of the nursery, and perhaps luckily for her her words were soft enough not to carry to the place of the announcement. Her face twisted into a scowl at Shardkit's scrutinizing look, and her glare intensified. The young kit, her son, wasn't fazed and simply turned away and began grooming himself. "I'm not sure if /she'll/ be much of an improvement, though," followed the scornful Frozensky defiantly, catching the end of Crystalstream's speech. "She probably killed him herself!" she added as an afterthought, a delighted grimace appearing on her face at this.

Shardkit was barely listening. His blank eyes stared out of the nursery towards Crystalstream, wandering lazily around. 'They find too much meaning in everything.'

(And I must have one evil character and one... weird character. o.o)

[spiritheart]

Lightwind nodded respectfully to Crystalstream, but hesitated in moving forwards. She hadn't yet been exactly recognised as trustworthy. The medicine cat raised her head to Highrock, and spoke in a voice as calm and collected as the deputy's composure.
"Crystalstream, perhaps if the clan share tongues with Shadedstar for the last time first, and remember him as he was before I make sure of the cause of death."
Her own eyes were swimming with sorrow for the clan cats. She had not known Shadedstar, but could tell that he had been a good leader. The aura around the camp clearing was extremely depressing.

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[Azalea]

Crystalstream cast a sharp look at Lightwind, scowling slightly before turning back to the Clan.
"Thank you, Lightwind, I was just getting to that. Could we have Shadedstar's body in the clearing, please?"
A bunch of unnamed elders dragged the leader's body into the clearing.
The deputy leaped gracefully down from the rock, sitting down next to Shadedstar's head.
"Oh, Shadedstar." she murmured almost inaudibly, allowing some emotion to break through her calm composure for the first time. "What am I ever going to do without you?"
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[Amber]

Being out all day definately had gotten the better of the white she-cat. Daydreaming about her sister had slowed any progress of hunting she could have thought of. Snowstorm had brought a measly couple of mice in from however long she was gone, exactly how long she was unsure. All she knew is she had gone into the warriors den to sleep, hopefully for a bit. Next thing she knew she heard the call of the deputy. 'Now what could she want?' was the thought passing through the warriors mind. Padding out, the only words she heard were 'Shadedstar' and 'dead'...Could that really be true? Blinking her eyes in disbelief Snowstorm stared at Crystalstream.

Thornkit had been watching the newest kits in the clan. They were so tiny! He had heard Crystalstream, but accepting that fact was too much. "I don't think Crystalstream would have killed Shadedstar, it would be too obvious, maybe she told someone else to kill him." the words had slipped from his mouth, he hadn't meant to say them, it was like his mother was talking through him. Hearing Frozensky's words must have triggered something with him. Realizing this, the kit gasped and ran out of the nursery, he had to get out of there. Even if it was just stepping outside to see their new leader and a bunch of cats gathered around.

[spiritheart]

Lightwind dipped her head, and stepped backwards, leaving the clan cats to their mourning. The black she-cat waited silently at the edge of the clump of saddened cats, her expression blank.
She thought for a moment, and came up with a solution that made things seem a little brighter. Life had given way to death, Shadedstar was dead, and a great leader he sounded like, but he had died just after the appearance of the clan's new kits.
Lightwind sat down, studying Shadedstar's body from a distance. It didn't look as if he'd been ravaged, more as if the leader had died peacefully. Perhaps a poison?
If it was murder, it was well concealed, but then again, who would do such a thing?

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[Mirepaw]

Frozensky's eyes opened at Thornkit's words, and they followed the young kit for a while. Still, the queen did not make any attempt to join those gathered around Crystalstream, nor Shadedstar. "Well, well, well... that was unexpected." She muttered to herself, patting her paws lightly on the ground. "We'll have to see what we can do with this.... it could be interesting." There was that smile again. Thoughts of her old family touched her mind, and what used to make her scowl made her smile even wider now. Perhaps what she had done to Heronkit and Diamondkit could be repeated. She didn't know what reason she had for this, she only knew that she would enjoy it.

[Panic]

Brokenfang stood silently in the camp. Shadedstar was getting old, although it had been hard to notice. The tom probably went peacefully. If he'd been attacked it'd be more obvious. The warrior stared down at the former ShadowClan leader, lacking another place to rest his eyes on. His thoughts did not wander, they simply ended there. His eyes melted into the motionless body of the tom who was known as Shadedstar. He looked at him, but didn't look at him. His eyes had locked onto the space between them. He had no idea what expression his face held but he assumed it'd resemble him being in deep thought. If he was lucky, no cat would disturb him. When Lightwind announced the cause of death he'd hear it, but it'd just take more time to register. The she-cat proved herself as a good medicine cat when she successfully delivered Swifteyes' kits and she'll further prove herself when she announces how Shadedstar died. She'll earn respect from the clan but Brokenfang would never feel such a thing toward her. A rogue wouldn't have a connection with StarClan. A rogue doesn't belong in a clan. Even though she knows the ways of the medicine cat and has a clan-like name, she wasn't from ShadowClan. And that was all Brokenfang needed to know.

Swifteyes stayed in the nursery to keep her sleeping kits warm. Warm newleaf air didn't grace the presence of the nursery just yet. She didn't want to wake them just yet either. She could clearly hear Crystalstream's voice as she announced Shadedstar's death. For some reason the queen didn't feel surprised. Shadedstar had disappeared earlier in the week, around the time the kits were born. She felt sadness for the lost leader. Shadedstar had always successfully led ShadowClan through every hardship and every spot of happiness. The clan would feel lost without him. But Crystalstream seemed ready and willing to take control of the clan. Swifteyes knew she could trust the deputy, now leader. She knew it was a bit selfish of her, but Swifteyes hoped that cats would still come to the nursery to visit her and the kits. The kits provided some company but she still wished for someone she could talk to, and they'd talk back.

[Zelda]

Molepaw padded around the leader. She mewed quietly to Lightwind, "If he was poisoned, would it be unsafe to share tongues with him?" The apprentice looked at Shadedstar uneasily. Even if it was safe, she wouldn't want to share tongues with him... Just the thought of touching a dead cat made her shiver. And then, it felt like a jolt went went through her body. She could see a clearing, looking down on it, protected by the ravine. Then she snapped back into reality. What had she just seen?

[spiritheart]

"I don't think it's poison, Molepaw." Lightwind answered, and licked the young apprentice's ears reassurringly.
"I bet Swifteyes is a little lonely, lets go and see her while everyone finishes shall we?"
The Ebony she-cat rose steadily to her paws, the faint white scar running the length of her back rippling with the rest of her muscles, and walked silently over to the nursury, pushing her way in.
"Swifteyes? Me and Molepaw have come to see you." The medicine cat sat down opposite the queen, smiling.

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[Zelda]

She sighed with relief. The she-cat took a deep breath and licked Shadedstar's ear hesitantly. After saying a quick prayer to StarClan, Molepaw hurried after Lightwind.
The apprentice padded into the nursery, and sat down next to the medicine cat. "We still need to ask about you being medicine cat..." she mewed quietly, barely audible to the queen with them. Then she addressed Swifteyes. "How are you feeling? Need anything?" she inquired politely.

Blackclaw shared tongues with Shadedstar one last time, and then padded away. He remembered the two fueding brothers, but decided to let them be. He wanted some time to himself.
Oh, now Shadedstar. StarClan, why are you doing this to me? First my mate, now my leader... he wondered hopelessly, noticing his paws were carrying him out of camp. He stopped himself, and wheeled back around. I should help Crystalstar with her new duties. Shadedstar...Shadedstar trusted me like a deputy, and I hope my new leader will, also. The tom padded back to where Shadedstar's body lie, and approached Crystalstar.
"Is there anything you need, Crystalstar?" he asked, dipping his head respectfully.

[Mirepaw]

"That's odd, no one ever comes to visit me," mentioned Frozensky more loudly than she needed. She kept her eyes on the roof of the nursery, not even bothering to look at the other cats. She was still preoccupied with devising stories in her mind about the various ways Crystalstar could have killed off Shadedstar without anyone expecting it, and she was quite enjoying herself. Her newest idea was that Shadedstar had secretly met with Lightwind before she had come to the camp and gotten her to poison the old leader. After all, she would know poisons well, would she not? A smile danced on the queen's face as she pondered this, enjoying incriminating the rogue along with the new leader.