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Description
The two MoonClanners bounded farther into SnowClan territory, ignoring the scent marks and crunching the snow under their feet. The sky was gray with clouds; lightning flashed overhead as if rain threatened to fall any minute. As they made their way towards the SnowClan camp, Deathsong ran beside Patchstar. "Look over there," he notioned with his head. Patchstar slowed, seeing two figures near a frozen birch tree.

No...there were three. Three figures.

Patchstar veered right, closing in on the three SnowClanners. As they neared, the smaller one, a yellow tabby, bristled. "Don't come closer!" she hissed, tears in her eyes. Deathsong stepped in front of Patchstar. "Summerpaw," he had met the apprentice once before while patrolling the border. "Move aside."

Stubbornly, the apprentice stayed put, teeth bared. She refused to move until a white-and-gray tabby tail drooped over the younger cat's shoulder. Summerpaw moved aside, and Patchstar recognized the pelt of Pearlsnow, the SnowClan deputy. She was hovering over a still white cat, an icicle pierced through it's back leg. Pearlsnow turned around slowly, her bicolored eyes shining with tears. "Patchstar," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"No...." Patchstar took a cautionary step forward. Deathsong stayed put, already knowing what lay ahead. "No!!!" Patchstar shouted again, "Crystalstar!!"

Just in front of Pearlsnow lay the limp body of the cat that Patchstar had grown up with. Fought battles with. Trained with. Crystalstar's pure white fur was slowly being tainted red by her own blood. Patchstar pushed past both Summerpaw and Pearlsnow and placed her head against Crystalstar's cold cheek, her blue eyes gazed ahead, frozen forever in a neverending stare. Patchstar's shoulders shook with her sobs. Crystalstar couldn't be dead, she couldn't be!

Deathsong stood by Pearlsnow quietly. After a while, he spoke up. "I guess this means you are the next leader." he mewed. "You have to be strong. For SnowClan."

Pearlsnow nodded in response. "I know, I know...it's just...this is my fault. I'm the one who brought her out here."

Summerpaw stayed silent, staring at the tabby-striped deputy in disbelief. Crystalstar had died saving her from the falling icicle, because she wanted to tag along. Deathsong ignored the apprentice as he walked over to Patchstar.

"Patchstar," he pressed his nose to her cheek. "We need to go. They need to take her back to their camp."

"Please," she replied, "please just...give me a few minutes. At least let me take the icicle out of her leg."

After a few minutes of sobbing, Deathsong escorted Patchstar back towards the MoonClan territory. "We are so sorry for your loss," he called back to Pearlsnow and Summerpaw. "Please...give all of SnowClan our sympathies."

Patchstar didn't say a word as she walked back into camp. Joltflash ran up to greet the two as they entered, asking why they had gone to SnowClan.

"Leave me alone." Patchstar growled, and ran into her den.

Description
The two MoonClanners bounded farther into SnowClan territory, ignoring the scent marks and crunching the snow under their feet. The sky was gray with clouds; lightning flashed overhead as if rain threatened to fall any minute. As they made their way towards the SnowClan camp, Deathsong ran beside Patchstar. "Look over there," he notioned with his head. Patchstar slowed, seeing two figures near a frozen birch tree.

No...there were three. Three figures.

Patchstar veered right, closing in on the three SnowClanners. As they neared, the smaller one, a yellow tabby, bristled. "Don't come closer!" she hissed, tears in her eyes. Deathsong stepped in front of Patchstar. "Summerpaw," he had met the apprentice once before while patrolling the border. "Move aside."

Stubbornly, the apprentice stayed put, teeth bared. She refused to move until a white-and-gray tabby tail drooped over the younger cat's shoulder. Summerpaw moved aside, and Patchstar recognized the pelt of Pearlsnow, the SnowClan deputy. She was hovering over a still white cat, an icicle pierced through it's back leg. Pearlsnow turned around slowly, her bicolored eyes shining with tears. "Patchstar," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"No...." Patchstar took a cautionary step forward. Deathsong stayed put, already knowing what lay ahead. "No!!!" Patchstar shouted again, "Crystalstar!!"

Just in front of Pearlsnow lay the limp body of the cat that Patchstar had grown up with. Fought battles with. Trained with. Crystalstar's pure white fur was slowly being tainted red by her own blood. Patchstar pushed past both Summerpaw and Pearlsnow and placed her head against Crystalstar's cold cheek, her blue eyes gazed ahead, frozen forever in a neverending stare. Patchstar's shoulders shook with her sobs. Crystalstar couldn't be dead, she couldn't be!

Deathsong stood by Pearlsnow quietly. After a while, he spoke up. "I guess this means you are the next leader." he mewed. "You have to be strong. For SnowClan."

Pearlsnow nodded in response. "I know, I know...it's just...this is my fault. I'm the one who brought her out here."

Summerpaw stayed silent, staring at the tabby-striped deputy in disbelief. Crystalstar had died saving her from the falling icicle, because she wanted to tag along. Deathsong ignored the apprentice as he walked over to Patchstar.

"Patchstar," he pressed his nose to her cheek. "We need to go. They need to take her back to their camp."

"Please," she replied, "please just...give me a few minutes. At least let me take the icicle out of her leg."

After a few minutes of sobbing, Deathsong escorted Patchstar back towards the MoonClan territory. "We are so sorry for your loss," he called back to Pearlsnow and Summerpaw. "Please...give all of SnowClan our sympathies."

Patchstar didn't say a word as she walked back into camp. Joltflash ran up to greet the two as they entered, asking why they had gone to SnowClan.

"Leave me alone." Patchstar growled, and ran into her den.