A Great Star Falls - Part 1

It was a rainy day. Most of the camp was quiet, the majority of the MoonClan cats had opted to stay in from the drenching downpour. There were others that revelled in the fact that at least it wasn’t snow, sparking arguments of which type of weather was worse. Some of the kits tried to go out and play, only to be herded back into their warm nests by their mothers. The noonhigh patrol had just returned, the warriors and apprentices scrambling to get back to their nests. Spiderstep quickly dropped a robin that he had caught in the Fresh-Kill pile before rushing to the Warrior’s Den, assumedly into Jadesnow’s waiting paws.

Patchstar hadn’t left her den in the last few days. The weather made her joints ache, and she didn’t have enough of an appetite to go out and grab some prey. Her fur was unkept as she turned over in her nest, twitching an ear as her Deputy pushed past the mossy barrier that covered her den’s entrance.

The tan she-cat padded into the den with a particularly healthy-looking rabbit clamped in her jaws. She set it down softly at Patchstar’s paws, and nudged it forward to that the leader knew it was there. “You must eat, Patchstar.” Joltflash meowed. “You need your strength to lead the Clan.” Patchstar scooted over enough to allow her Deputy to lay next to her. Joltflash purred softly in comfort. The rain poured loudly outside, dripping from the mossy barrier at the leader’s den’s entrance.

Patchstar pushed the rabbit away with a shaky paw. “No, thanks,” she replied politely. “Give that to a Queen or an Elder...they need it more than I do.”

“You are a queen and an elder. Eat. Deputy’s Orders.” Joltflash mewed, her tone firm.

The tortoiseshell laughed quietly at her friend’s quick tongue. “Alright, alright…” she submitted, taking a small bite from the rabbit. Joltflash flicked her tail swiftly for her small victory before looking over her friend.

“Should I call Breezemoon to bring you some herbs?” the concerned she-cat asked. “You look in pain.”

The MoonClan leader shook her head. “I’m fine. He needs to keep his stock up until Newleaf comes.” She turned to look at her friend, “You need to stop fretting over me, Joltflash.”

“Oh please. Telling me to stop fretting is like telling Wishspirit to smile.” The Deputy retorted, laughing softly. Patchstar let out a quiet mrrow before a fit of coughing shook her delicate frame. Joltflash let out a worried meow before moving over to her leader and pressing her muzzle to her shoulder. “Take a deep breath, Patchstar,” she instructed.

Patchstar did as she was told, taking the deepest breath she could muster in her condition, pacing her breathing until it became even and easy again. The rain seemed to be slowing now, not as heavy as before. With any luck, it would clear up by dusk and the MoonClan cats could sleep peacefully tonight.

“There, all better,” Joltflash smiled, laying back down beside her leader. “Look at us. We’re both a couple of old, beat up ladies. Surprised MoonClan hasn’t gone off it’s edge with us in charge with our old lady ideas!”

“Who says it hasn’t?” Patchstar joked, nudging her friend with her shoulder. “Besides, old lady ideas are the best.”

Joltflash purred and flicked her tail, “very true, very true.”

“I’d say that she-cat leaders are the best at what they do,” the leader rambled. “They can balance handling a Clan, an apprentice and a family, you know. That’s why all the leaders are she-cats.”

“The day the Clans are run by toms is the day the forest falls. They let their ambition and pride get in the way.”

Patchstar purred, nodding in agreement. “They are definitely too focused on themselves. I’ll bet even Firestar himself had to consult his mate before making any decisions.”

Joltflash smiled, yawning. “That’s why we thrive on she-cats. However, I feel like there are some toms that would make good leaders. Quickwind, Archtail, Fernpelt and Twopelt all seem pretty decent at being deputies...if I do say so myself.”

“Oh, that’s true,” the tortoiseshell agreed, “I’ll give you that.” She shifted slightly as Joltflash placed her head on her paws. The rain quieted down even more so, it looked like it was clearing up nicely. Patchstar turned her attention from the camp outside to her friend beside her. She draped her patched tail over her friend’s back. “Will you be okay on your own?” she asked quietly.

Joltflash blinked, then sighed. “Honestly….I don’t know. It seems like I’ve lost everyone...my mate, my sister, my kits...soon even you. I mean...Spiceshadow and Jadesnow don’t interact with me much.” the Deputy stared at her paws, then turned her intense blue gaze to Patchstar. “I know I’ll be okay. I’ll just be...really lonely.”

“Joltflash…you know, even though you can’t see them, you are never really alone.”

The Deputy smiled for a fleeting moment before her face turned serious again. “I know. I’m just...not StarClan approved yet. I don’t get dreams with them or little signs to say that they’re okay. I just have to push through and know that they’re okay.”

“Soon, you will be StarClan approved,” Patchstar mewed, curling her tail off of Joltflash’s back and around her own paws. “I remember feeling the same way before I was made leader. I had a similar talk with Whitestar.”

“Did things become easier? After you became leader, I mean?”

Patchstar took a deep breath, feeling another fit of coughing coming on. She waited for it to pass before continuing. “In some ways, yes. But I’m not going to lie…being leader is a lot of sacrifice and responsibility. But I know you are up for it. That’s why you are my deputy, and my successor.”

Joltflash butted her head gently to Patchstar’s. “Not because we’re friends?” she purred.

“Especially because we’re friends,” the leader cuffed her oldest friend on the muzzle softly. She was about to say something more before the coughing caught up to her, not the good dry kind of coughing either.

“I’ll go get Breezemoon--” Joltflash said, standing up. Patchstar shook her head and hooked her paw around her Deputy’s leg so she wouldn’t leave.

“No...stay.”

“Patchstar, I really think that some herbs would--”

“Joltflash, I think it’s time for me to go.”

The deputy blinked in surprise, sitting back down beside her friend. “Go? Go like...Go go? Into StarClan?”

Patchstar nodded. “Yes...I don’t know how I know, but I know. I’m just...I feel so tired, like I do just before I lose a life. I feel like I want to sleep.”

The blue-eyed she-cat shook her head. “Y...you can’t go, not yet. I’m not ready.”

Patchstar met her Deputy’s gaze evenly. “You are ready, Joltflash. I know this.” She laid down comfortably beside her friend, tucking her tail over her paws as best as she could. “Will you stay with me until I am asleep?”

“Of course, Patchstar,” Joltflash was nothing but loyal. She began licking at her leader’s unkept fur, hoping to smooth it out and provide her friend with some comfort. Patchstar was purring loudly.

“Thank you, my friend, for everything,” she meowed quietly, her voice a whisper as she closed her forest green eyes. “When I see you next, I hope it is to give you the first of your nine lives.”

“Goodbye, Patchstar,” Joltflash’s voice was shaky, but she said it with all the firmness she could muster. Patchstar didn’t reply, but the constant drum of the rain had stopped.



~~~~

“Patchstar,” a solemn voice mewed, and the tortoiseshell she-cat opened her eyes to gaze upon the starry pelt of Crystalstar.

“Crystalstar...am I?” Patchstar began, and her snowy white friend nodded in response.

“You’ve come to rest with StarClan. We are here to welcome you,” she motioned with her tail to the line of cats who were all looking at the newest StarClan member eagerly.

“Mate! It’s great to see you again,” A tom with brown fur and a funny accent meowed, stepping forward to bump heads with Patchstar.

“Rockstar! It’s been ages,” the she-cat mewed happily. “Why did you have to join FireClan anyway? They didn’t appreciate you like I did.”

“If I’da joined up in MoonClan with ya, I wouldn’t have been able to become leader m’self, dear,” The amber-eyed tom smiled. “You hogged that position up for far too long, ya did.”

Not too far behind, the familiar pelt of Dave padded forward, greeting his mate with an affectionate lick on the cheek. Another slim figure made its way through the crowds and pressed herself to Patchstar. “Welcome home, Mother. You have made us all proud.”

“Fallenwish, it’s great to see you,” Patchstar purred. She looked over the rest of her welcoming party. “Eagleheart, Robinsong, Tawnyclaw, Brookfeather, Scarclaw, Moonflower, Goldenrain, Lilyfur, Leafpetal, Stormfeather, Ebonykit…” she named each one as she got to them. “It’s wonderful to see all of you...thank you.”

“I’m afraid MoonClan isn’t going to be doing too well after your death, mother. You see--” Fallenwish began.

“Where is Risingmoon? Cloudstep? Where’s Swiftfeather?”


“That’s what I need to talk to you about.” Fallenwish grew serious.

~~~~


“Patchstar is dead. After many moons of serving MoonClan as its faithful and loyal leader, she now walks with StarClan.” Joltflash mewed, addressing the Clan that she would soon take over as leader.

Fallenshadow tuned out the rest of her speech and watched as the Clan almost erupted into a frenzy of silent screams. They weren’t really silent, of course, but there wasn’t much of the Clan he could actually hear at the moment.

“Oh no,” Timidbreeze mewed, pressing herself into Fallenshadow. She didn’t need to say anything more, he had told her what would happen once Patchstar passed on to hunt with StarClan.

This is your moment.

Don't screw this up!

Wishspirit was summoned to bring back some apprentices that had run out into the forest at the devastating news. Fallenshadow hadn’t been paying enough attention to know who it was, but as his brother passed by him and Timidbreeze, the dark furred tom let out a quick hiss.

“Is it time now, brother? Our destiny awaits.”

Fallenshadow turned to look at Timidbreeze, his eyes full of fear and resolution. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to his mate. “I’ll be back...later. I need to go.”

Timidbreeze nodded, her own eyes filling with tears. “I understand,” was all she said.

He snuck behind the rest of his Clanmates as they pulled Patchstar’s limp body from her den and laid it in the middle of camp. At least the rain had stopped, Fallenshadow noted, hoping that the forest outside wasn’t too wet from the downpour. He slipped outside of camp just as the Elders began to dress Patchstar’s body with rosemary.

On his way outside, he ran into Wishspirit, who was towing a panting Horsepaw and soaked Scorpionpaw behind him. Fallenshadow eyed Wishspirit, knowing all too well that his brother must have pushed Scorpionpaw into the river. Wishspirit gave no indications otherwise, and gave Fallenshadow a look as if to say “Don’t back out now.”

Fallenshadow pushed back his brother and Patchstar’s kits, meowing a quick “Sorry for your loss” to the two apprentices before making his way South, deeper into MoonClan territory.