A Decision Made.

[_Mirrorstone]

Mirrorstone found himself once more perched on the Flat Stone, only hours after making Magpiepaw and apprentice, Hawkfeather her mentor, and Boulderclaw a warrior. Now, for the deputy, after Flareshadow's death, He had little time to choose a deputy before the Gathering, but with a hard swallow, he reassued himself that he had infact made a good choice and hoped StoneClan and SpiderClan in turn would agree. Whiskers twitching nervously, young Mirrorstone prepared for the worst.

All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Flat Stone for a Clan meeting.

He called shakily, the name of the cat he had chosen swirling around inside his head , leaving him wondering if he had made the right choice.

[--> arcticstripe <--]

The words sounded in Arcticstripes ears from where she lay just inside the warriors den. The sound was mixed with a light beat of rain. It looked like the storm was finally letting up. Graceful steps took her to the front of the stone. She sat, and tilted her head up towards her leader. Her eyes were large and wondering. This must be the deputy ceremony. She smiled to herself, she had no clue who the SpiderClan leader had chosen, but she knew that it would be a good choice.

Boulderclaw had just recently padded into the camp. His fur was soaked after hunting with no results. With his semi-long fur drooping at his sides he padded over and saw that only Arcticstripe was present at the moment. He sat on his haunches next to his former mentor and gave her an odd looking smile. He looked totally foolish sitting there with his fur all matted down at his sides and his ears drooping at the tips. His smile was one-sided too, making him look even more hilarious.

[Panther]

MOONSHADOW
don’t hate me because i’m beautiful…
hate me because you never will be

Moonshadow gazed dolefully up at the looming gray clouds above, still growling and threatening with the brooding storm that was wreaking havoc upon the SpiderClan territory. For the past while the cream and gray longhair had been sitting out in the torrent as it soaked her to the bone and chilled her skin until her pelt was sopping and heavy with rainwater. But it was a small price to pay in order for her to scorn the weather and send a message to StoneClan that she wouldn’t be disheartened so easily. The storm was surely taking its toll upon the territory but the Clan must remain strong and pull through.

Gazing up into the falling rain her ears flicked to life as she heard the call of Mirrorstone beckoning the Clan to the Flat Stone. Rising to her heavy paws she did her best to shake the water that was now bedded deep into her pelt. Rainwater flew from her coat in spirals as she shook herself out, her hide sticking out in thick clumps of damp fur and darkened by the wetness of the storm. Her paws now were dirtied with mud as was her tail and silently she looked around with a sneering expression of irritancy. It was going to take her ages to wash! Daintily, and rather curtly, licking a front paw she gazed around the camp, watching for the other cats to join beneath the Flat Stone. Her teeth dug in between her toe pads, ridding her paw of the mud and grime that had been collected there. For now the storm seemed to be quieting, only a soft drizzle fell from the gloom-ridden skies, and for a moment a flicker of triumph flashed in her azure eyes.
HAHA! That's RIGHT rain! Run away! Run away and COWER!
Her thoughts warmed her chilled bones as she gazed upwards at the brooding heavens. Pleased with the dying storm and her defiance twourds it the cream she-cat yawned momentarily and swished her tail.

Rolling her shoulders back, muscles quivering with pleasure at being used after such a long and uncomfortable time sitting in the wrath of the storm, Moonshadow padded her way over to the Flat Stone and seated herself comfortably in the lee of the large rock. Her ears flicked to and fro, listening for her clanmates as she began washing the mud from her front paws yet again. Pink tongue flitting out over her white paw as she held it to her mouth and did her best to groom the muck away. Her white and dapple gray coat was still matted with water and looking rather ragged and disheveled from her commune with the rain but she’d tend to that later, right now all she wanted was to get the mud out of her fur.

Turning her head around her haunches to begin grooming of her tail her eyes remained poised and alert, purring a greeting to Arcticstripe and Boulderclaw as they arrived beneath the Flat Stone. Her eyes then turned to the leader, glittering as they watched Mirrorstone and awaited the news that he held for the Clan.

.i’m asking you to die for me.

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[_Mirrorstone]

SpiderClan! Listen to the cat I will be appointing as the new deputy.

Mirrorstone sighed nervously, another ceremony that was a first for him, as his eyes darted left and right in search of the cat whose name he would soon be announcing to the cats that were gathering beneath him. Giving his shoulder a nervous lick, he thought of his decision silently in his mind, was it the right cat? Would his Clan-mates approve? And more importantly, would StoneClan? He swallowed hard, ear flicking, trying to rid it of a sudden itch.

I call upon the ancestors in StoneClan to approve of this name, of the cat that I will state as the new deputy of SpiderClan. And, I have chosen Moonshadow.

He braced himself for jowls and hisses of disapproval, and a loud, 'You should hasve chosen me!' above all else. He stepped down lightly from the Flat Stone and searched for Moonshadow, a confused, but congradulating expression splayed over his face. Whatever the rest of SpiderClan said, he knew he had made the right decision.

[Panther]

MOONSHADOW
don’t hate me because i’m beautiful…
hate me because you never will be


Deputy…
The announcement rang in her ears as if the world had slowed to allow her a grasp on what she had just heard. Everything seemed tainted by the gray shadows of the looming clouds, the gloom and muck of the departing rain and the dull atmosphere only adding to the surreal feel of it all. Her paws felt suddenly much heavier then they had been earlier, now weighed down by more then just the rain. Now there was responsibility there, in her bosom, in her mind, in her complete being. All in a moment, like a tiny and elusive second in a drop of rain she had the wellbeing of the Clan put on her shoulders and it was as if she could feel the physical strain of it.

But…well, perhaps “strain” wasn’t the correct word. It was an honor, truly, and even if she had been expecting it such an announcement would still have this affect. After all, it wasn’t every day you were named Clan deputy.
The first thought that popped into her mind after her system began running on normal time once more and things were moving at a faster pace then their earlier and lethargic travel speed was This is because I chased the rain away! Coward rain…. However she soon collected her wits about her and dashed the thought. Honestly, Moonshadow, you can be such a dolt sometimes.
Suddenly she remembered the fact that she had been sitting out in the storm for quite some time and that her pelt was less then admirable and drenched so that she probably looked like an albino otter with a bad case of a nasty haircut. Quickly licking her water clumped fur down and into a makeshift and acceptable fashion she rose and stood, peering up at the Flat Stone as Mirrorstone descended from the meeting rock. Her ears were pinned forward and her tail was held, as best it could be in its waterlogged condition, at a high stature. But, even though she was wet the water could not do to dampen the glimmer of pride that shown in her glittering blue eyes.

Stepping forward lightly she moved to touch noses respectfully with Mirrorstone as he came near, a determined glint shining sharply within her gaze as her eyes met his. She would prove herself to this honor, would uphold the warrior code of SpiderClan and devote herself completely to the survival of the Clan!

Thank you, Mirrorstone. It is a great honor to be named deputy of SpiderClan and before StoneClan and the memory of Flareshadow I vow to uphold the warrior code of SpiderClan to the best of my abilities!
StoneClan give me strength!
The cream and gray dappled she-cat made a silent prayer to the great warrior ancestors as she looked out over the Clan…her Clan! Whatever happened to them now, in the wake of the storm and whatever else was to come Moonshadow hoped she had the strength to uphold Mirrorstone’s leadership and law as well as to serve the Clan.

Now then…let’s just hope that deputy nest is dry… She thought quietly to herself, inwardly self-conscious of her wet pelt and chilled skin. Moonshadow then held her head high, peering over the faces of the cats of SpiderClan, feeling a surge of inner strength as she did so.

Even if you don’t look it in all your waterlogged glory at least you are able to act like a deputy!
The thought brought a humorous twitch to her whiskers.


.i’m asking you to die for me.

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[_Mirrorstone]

Muse and excitement swirled in Mirrorstone's piercing blue eyes which made them soften for the first time in many moons. Emotions and feelings erupted inside him like fireworks, things he hadn't felt since... since his mother had died.. since he had had to leave Thea. A thin, and rather beautiful for a kittypet, as a young loner, Mirrorstone had fallen in love instantly. Known as Radea then, he put on a show that he was the tom next door, and Thea soon tumbled head-over-paws for him as well.

But the time came to leave, and here he stood now, Thea was...? He wasn't sure, he didn't really care any longer, she would be taken to the Cutter soon enough, and he was now the leader of SpiderClan. It was Moonshadow that had captivated his full attention now, sending his thoughts into another shouting match.

Tinderhaze? Moonshadow? Tinderhaze! Moonshadow!
And throughout all of it, he managed to croak out the words,

Congratulations, Moonshadow, I welcome you as the full deputy of SpiderClan. I am assured you will be a fine cat for this position.

[~The~Fire~Within~]

" Congratulations Moonshadow!" meowed Destinystrike.