SnowMoon's Heart -

Chapter 9~

A few days later she had been asked to sit with ShadedStar and enjoy a meal. The elderly she cat was in her den, her mate FoxHeart was with her as well as her kits LillyWind, EchoHeart, and DarkWisker. ShadedStar was lying in her nest, small coughs could be heard from her. " You wished to see me FoxHeart? Is ShadedStar alright?" asked SnowMoon. " Yes, ShadedStar wished to have the cats she cared for the most here. I fear that she will be joining StarClan tonight, she has grown weaker as the days have gone by." Said FoxHeart. SnowMoon looked at her leader, her frail body was moving up and down with every breath, she had to admit ShadedStar did look like she was in a bad place. The she cat had gotten up, her bones were shaking and it looked like it hurt her to move. " FoxHeart love, is every cat here? Our kits and SnowMoon?" asked ShadedStar. " Yes my love, they're here. She lost her vision in the night. " FoxHeart explained. " Hello my children, and SnowMoon, I wanted you all here so I can say my goodbyes. EchoHeart will be the next leader as we have planned, my son come here please." EchoHeart approached his mother and laid down next to her. " I'm here mother, what do you need?" asked EchoHeart. " I want you to go to WillowWish soon and go to the Moon Pool to receive your nine lives. I'll be the last cat to give you a life just as my leader did before I. Don't be afraid son, you will make an excellent leader. Now LillyWind, DarkWisker come here." said ShadedStar. Echoheart got up and walked over to SnowMoon and sat down next to her and intertwined his tail with hers and then put his head on her shoulder.

" I'm scared SnowMoon, I don't want to lose her yet, let alone be a leader." Whispered EchoHeart. " I know, I'm here for you, just like I always will be. Just like she said you'll be a great leader, your smart and strong." She whispered back. The two cats sat there for a few moments, she felt her fur getting wet from where EchoHearts head was. She started to groom his fur in an attempt to comfort him. She noticed his siblings move away from their mother.

"SnowMoon? Are you still here?" asked ShadedStar. " Yes, I'm here." Said SnowMoon. " Come here." she approached her leader, then laid down next to her and began to groom her. " In the time you have been in my clan you have become a sort of daughter to me. I know when the time comes you will be the perfect mate for my son. I'm glad to have met a cat such as you. You've followed your heart to get here and sometimes that takes a lot of bravery to do so. I'm glad my final act as leader was to make you a warrior of my clan. Thank you." said ShadedStar. FoxHeart, LillyWind, and DarkWisker now joined her lying with the leader. ShadedStar was just laying there now, each breath was a struggle. SnowMoon could see EchoHeart sitting by the entrance to the den, she could tell he was reluctant to leave the den. " I love you all goodbye." Said ShadedStar. The leader gave one final breath and then there was no more. ShadedStar was dead.      

Soon the cats carried ShadedStar's body into the clearing, FoxHeart sat on top of the High Rock. " All cats of the clan come, ShadedStar has passed away!" Said FoxHeart. EchoHeart and WillowWish were the only cats who were not present since they were traveling to the Moon Pool. LillyWind had joined her kits, RockKit and SparkKit, by the nursery. " EchoHeart will be the new leader since I am way too old to lead the clan, I will be joining the elders den as soon as he returns from the Moon Pool. I am grateful for the time I spent as my mates deputy. Let all of us now share tongues with our leader on last time. Thank you." FoxHeart jumped down from the high rock and laid down beside his dead mate. Cats slowly started to chant ShadedStar's name, and soon cats joined FoxHeart. SnowMoon saw her friends sitting in front of the apprentice den, KalePaw was comforting YellowPaw. She approached the two cats, she laid down next to YellowPaw and put her head on her shoulder and wrapped herself around her friend.

At dawn is when EchoHeart had returned with WillowWish and her apprentice MinnowTail, he was now EchoStar. The Elders began to gather around ShadedStar's body, FoxHeart stood up and greeted his son, then He, BranchTail, and MissingFoot all picked up ShadedStar and carried her away to be buried.  SnowMoon went over to EchoStar, as she got closer she could tell how exhausted he was. " EchoStar, you still have to name a deputy. After that you may rest." Said WillowWish. The new leader sighed, then walked over and got on top of the High Rock. " All cats who are old enough gather underneath the High Rock for a clan meeting." Like always cats began to gather, some were still there from the vigil. " I must now name my Deputy, so as I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors, may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of ThunderClan is ThrushClaw. May he serve well as our Deputy just like my father had for ShadedStar. That is all." Said EchoStar. EchoStar jumped off the High Rock and walked towards SnowMoon. " SnowMoon can we talk privately for a moment?" asked EchoStar. " Of course we can. What is it?" she asked. " Not here, in my mothers, I mean my den." said EchoStar. He led her into his den and entered and she followed him inside the den.

" SnowMoon could.. Um could you stay here with me? I don't want to sleep alone, I'm so used to my clanmates sleeping around me." he asked. " Of course I will EchoStar. Come here, you must be hurting so much right now." SnowMoon went over to him and embraced him, EchoStar immediately started to cry into her fur. " You don't have to be strong in front of me, I'll always be here to help you, even if I'm not your mate." she said. " It hurts so much Snow, you've had to do this twice now. You lost both of your parents, how do you get over it?" he asked. " You don't really get over it, most nights I still cry and long for my parents mostly my mother. I was there when she passed as well. I held her as she died, her body was convulsing, she was awake and talking about an hour before her death. I was terrified, she died the same way as SheepFur, CliffJump and LightPaw. I held LightPaw as well, I was with HerbKit when SheepFur passed, that poor kit didn't need to see her mother die that way. My father's body was dragged back to camp, I still remember the terrified look in his eyes, his body was mangled by that dog. I will never fully be over their deaths, but it gets better every day slowly. Lets try and sleep, ok? I'll be here when you wake up." The two cats laid down together, and fell asleep.

They were woken by a cat calling for EchoStar. " EchoStar? You awake in there?" said the cat. " I am now, come in." EchoStar groggily called back.  ThrushClaw entered the den. " I'm sorry for waking you but I wanted to give you a report of what has happened while you were sleeping. I organized hunting and border patrols, and your father has fully settled into the Elders den. It's night time now, so I assume you want a night patrol sent out as well?" asked ThrushClaw. " Of course you should send one out, thank you for asking but your my deputy, I trust your decisions. Now if you don't mind I wish to go back to sleep." said EchoStar. ThrushClaw nodded, then left the den. EchoStar curled himself back into a ball and pulled SnowMoon into a tighter embrace. " SnowMoon, I have a question," he said. "Yes?" she asked. " I know this is sudden, but I don't think I could go through life without you always by my side. So SnowMoon would you be my mate. You can say no, but since we had that talk weeks ago about the love we share for each other, and how we like to be in the company of one another, I figured I should ask you eventually. I love you SnowMoon and there is no other cat I would like to share my life with. I really don't think I can do this without you to back me up, I.."

" Of course I will, you mouse brain. I love you too, I promise I'll always be here to be your support no matter what. Your struggles are now mine as well, I'll share your pain as if it were my own. I love you so much EchoStar." Interrupted SnowMoon. She nuzzled him. The two cats laid there in a sweet embrace, savoring each others scent. EchoStar smelled of the forest and of the smell of the lake, as SnowMoon smelled of fresh moss and pine. Soon they both fell fast asleep not to wake till dawn.