here comes the general (skc's temporary deputy)

There was so much fear in Poplartooth's heart. It was an emotion that he simply wasn't used to. It made him feel exposed and weak. It made him feel like he was opening himself up so everyone could see just how he was feeling. No matter how strong he wanted to look, his paws shook, his gaze flickered, and his tail drooped. The tom was horrified. When he had become the deputy of SkyClan, the thought of becoming a leader in the future was a mere afterthought. However, his afterthoughts had become a harsh, new reality. All he felt now was regret. When Poplartooth had abandoned Rippedstar to come back to SkyClan, he had felt worried for the black-and-white leader. Sure, SkyClan was fairly exposed without their deputy or their leader, but if Rippedstar was harmed, then the entire Clan could fall just as easily. How would the Clan react when they found out? Rippedstar had been gone for over a moon, now. He was probably dead. What was he supposed to do, now? It felt hard to breathe, and all of his muscles seemed to shake with protest as he inhaled and exhaled. Poplartooth had to kill these pointless emotions that were bogging him down. It was his job as the deputy to step up and take over SkyClan as the leader... no matter how much the idea scared him.

Perhaps, during his days as an apprentice, the thought of being a leader would be something 'easy'. He could only imagine what the younger version of himself would say to his current being.
'Why are you freaking out about becoming a leader? Yeah, Rippedstar is dead, and that's sad, but that means that you are the commander in chief of SkyClan! Maybe, if you're so scared about becoming a leader now, you weren't fit to be the deputy in the first place.'
Perhaps his apprentice-self was right.
Was he even fit to be the deputy in the first place? He had gained the position as second-in-command so soon after his warrior ceremony, it had felt like a joke. Right now was the real test. He couldn't tell if he was failing or not.

As the fluffy tom made his way through camp, he tried his hardest to avoid the gazes of all the other cats. He knew that he was gaining stares. Pairs and pairs of multi-colored eyes were on him, but it all just seemed to weigh him down. His steps felt heavier, his breathing was becoming more and more of a struggle. Cats were probably wondering what had driven him to look so unkempt and poor, but he wasn't in the mood to answer, now. He had one thing to do right now.

He had to name a deputy.

Poplartooth knew that he couldn't focus on the negative qualities in his Clanmates right now. He had to teach himself at this moment that nobody was perfect. Even though he was quick to judge, he had to look at the positive traits of all the warriors. He had to bring out the best in them so he could filter out a good deputy for the sake of SkyClan's future. There were so many possibilities, though. However, it wasn't like the brown-and-white tom could wait. It was his job to appoint a deputy before a certain time so that he could go and gain his nine lives afterwards, and he wasn't the type of cat to procrastinate. Plus, the longer he wallowed in thought, the worse he would feel. Poplartooth had to get this over with.

Usually, it was easy to leap on top of the tallbranch. Now, it felt difficult. Even as he landed on top of the perch, he felt like he would fall forward and crash to the ground. After blinking away an odd, stinging sensation in his green eyes, Poplartooth cleared his throat and let the familiar meeting call ring out through the clearing. His voice wasn't strong like it usually was. It was shaky, it was forced, and it betrayed how he was truly feeling.

"L-Let all cats old enough to climb a tr-tree gather beneath the tallbranch for Clan m-meeting."

Tawneyfur heard a familiar voice calling the clan to gather. She starred proudly up at her brother as she waited for the rest of SkyClan to assemble.

Firpaw was nursing her wounds from her and Cloudroar's battle with the fox, watching her Clanmates mill about. Rippedstar had been missing for some time, which was concerning considering his recent rise to leadership. The deaf she-cat eyed Poplartooth's expression with alarm. Why did he look like that? She didn't move from her spot, but straightened her back in order to see him better. A growing sense of dread made her peach-splashed pelt prickle.

The silver tom glared in the direction of Tallbranch at the call. His aggrivation over Poplartooth was large, but even worse was the painful obedience that followed. The other cats were quite willing to go to a meeting led by one cat who had been too cowardly to stay out there and defend their leader. Now he had been gone for moons, and Sedgestrike felt a strange sense of loss. His mentor, his father... was gone. That had been the verdict by many cats in SkyClan as his absence grew and grew. His claws dug deep into the dirt and he stalked towards the tallbranch with angry green eyes that wished they could rip it out from beneath him.

Then he paused, the words on his tongue. He could have been overreacting. What if this was simply an apprenticeship ceremony? He looked around for any apprentices of age. He didn't see any, neither did he see any apprentice he'd declare ready to become leader. Then again, it was never his call, but Sedgestrike couldn't contain the anger from spilling out. Before he could talk himself out of it, he leapt up onto the tree. Not onto Tallbranch, but close enough that Poplartooth could hear him clearly while the clan could hopefully not.
"Poplartooth, are you finally going to admit your mistake?" He questioned, his voice a deep hiss. "You're going to send out a patrol to get Rippedstar back. Right?"

He couldn't be gone. The other cats in SkyClan could be completely wrong, it was pointless to give up hope on their leader, who had been through so much. He refused to believe the one cat that never gave up on him couldn't be there now.

Mistypaw bounded out of the apprentice den, certainly not lacking in her typical energy. Poplartooth's call had been shaky and unsure... what had happened? She was normally confident and optimistic, but she wavered for a moment before she sat down. She gazed anxiously up at her deputy, almost holding her breath as she awaited his words.

Shrikepaw didn't know what to think. Crowstar's loyal deputy and next in line was gone just like that... The black fluffy tom didn't want to accept the truth. He wanted to take the blame for this.. Crowstar died because of him and so it would be right for Rippedstar to disappear cause of him too.. It just seemed likely. The tom sat down his yellow eyes dull as he looked up at the deputy of Skyclan.

Ploverpaw padded out of the apprentice den. He didn't know Rippedstar too well or the clan in general too well.. But he knew that this was a big loss. The gray apprentice didn't really know what to do so he sat down among the other cats and waited.

Chin resting heavily upon a splayed out forepaw, Elmcloud's gaze was curiously withdrawn as he listlessly observed the gloom-riddled expressions upon his Clanmates features. What now? How could this Clan keep possibly accruing bad luck? This had to be some sort of record. Head gently swaying slightly as his toes apprehensively drug lines through the shallow earth below his paws, the tom's movements didn't falter at Poplartooth's summons. Whatever they were going to discuss, he could listen just fine from here.

Pantherblaze narrowed his eyes when he heard the deputy’s call. His trembling voice was obviously a sign that this wasn’t a common apprentice ceremony. Ha made his way to Elmcloud and sit right next to him, quietly as he watched at the tom’s moves. He seemed... worried. Was this about Rippedstar’s dissapearace?

Hawkstrike padded calmly to join the gathering cats. While he respected Rippedstar, he never had created a bond like with Crowstar with him, which caused him to not really care that much for the disappearance other than potentially appearing weak to the other clans. He always acted worried when asked though, he had to keep up the goody warrior façade, and as long as the clan got a leader strong enough to keep them going and resist the other clan’s potential attacks, he was fine with it…

…he would be lying if he said he didn’t wish to have a leader with ideals more akin to his own though.

Hearing his leader's call, Tinylegs made his way to the front of the crowd and sat down, his long tail easily wrapping around his small, yet long body. Looking up to the deputy, he knew what this meeting was about. Ripperstar's sudden death had rocked the clan, but he knew that Poplartooth would be an excellent leader and wondered who he'd choose to serve the clan by his side.

Swiftflight slowly padded up towards the quickly gathering crowd of cats from his place near the entrance to the warriors den, sitting off to the side. As per usual, he had tamed down the fluffy white mass that was his fur, making his appearance neater and orderly. He hadn't thought much about who the new deputy might be, only on the fact that Rippedstar was gone. How could he be gone? First, he lost Crowstar, not only his leader, but his mentor and grandfather, and now Rippedstar? The young tom didn't know what to think of it, other than not to at all.

Blazingfire sat down with the gathering cats, waiting for his brother to continue. He worried somewhat for Poplartooth as responsibilities were dumped on him all of the sudden. He sat straight, shooting a reassuring smile up at his brother. Everything would be all right in the end. Blazingfire would support Poplar and his clan until his final breath.

Poplartooth stayed eerily still and watched as the Clan began to gather. He managed to catch the reassuring glances that his family gave him, but they didn’t make him feel any better. In fact, they just made him feel worse than he already did. It reminded him that SkyClan was his family, and now, he’d have to lead them all. The fluffy tom’s emotionless expression twisted into a frown. There was absolutely no turning back, now. However, there was still a bit of doubt in the back of his mind. Perhaps Rippedstar was still living. Maybe he hadn’t found the rogues and was simply still searching. What were the odds that some rogues could tear away nine lives from a leader? It would be horrible if Poplartooth went to the Moonstone, gained his nine lives, and then discovered that Rippedstar was still alive. He made a silent plan in his mind. He would go and check for Rippedstar himself, right after he appointed his deputy.

A temporary one.
Well, that’s what he wanted to call it. If the black-and-white leader was still alive, Poplartooth would simply return to being a deputy, and the cat that he had named as the temporary deputy would go back to being a warrior. It was better to remain safe than sorry. It was only pure desperation that kept the fluffy tom with the beliefs that Rippedstar was still alive. He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when the voice of the familiar spotted silver tom sounded in his ear. Irritation flooded through Poplartooth’s veins and even made his paws tingle. Sometimes, he had trouble believing that he had even considered Sedgestrike to be an acquaintance back during their apprenticehood.

“My only mistake was considering you anything close to a friend, Sedgestrike,” Poplartooth quietly responded, making sure that those below wouldn’t hear, and spitting out the name of the silver tom like it was poisonous, “Now do me a big favor and join your Clanmates below the tallrock.”
After glaring at Sedgestrike for a couple for a couple more heartbeats before turning back to the rest of SkyClan that was gathered below him.

Sucking in a shaky breath, Poplartooth started.

“As most of you know, Rippedstar and I left camp about a moon back to go track down those dangerous rogues. Both of us knew that the full moon was approaching, so Rippedstar asked me to go back to SkyClan so that I could lead us into the Gathering. I was very reluctant to leave my leader by himself, but I eventually followed his orders and returned. My only concern, now, is that he has not returned. It’s been far too long to face this matter without worry. There’s no easy way for me to say this, and it pains me just as much as it will pain you,” Poplartooth shook his head, sighing, “Rippedstar is most likely dead.”

Once the deputy gave the Clan a few heartbeats to react, he carried on, “Even though Rippedstar barely had the chance to lead his Clan, his name shall still be spoken with respect. As much I don’t want to move on, the flow of SkyClan must continue. I must name a deputy to assist me in carrying SkyClan’s weight. I didn’t have moons and moons to think about this decision, but I’m very satisfied with my choice, and I hope you all will be, too.”

Now, there was really no turning back.

“I say these words before StarClan, so the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The deputy of SkyClan will be Tinylegs. I sincerely trust that he will be able to help me with this Clan. However, I will be doing a quick check to see and make sure that Rippedstar is truly dead. If he is, then I will be traveling to the Moonstone to receive my nine lives. If he isn’t, then I will bring him back, and he will continue to lead SkyClan. All we can do now is hope for the best.”

Listening as the deputy began to speak, though always optimistic for the future, he was still grieving like every other cat. Rippedstar, though his whereabouts were unknown, was mostly likely gone for good at this point, and the little tom couldn't help but feel sorry for SkyClan. It seemed like just a couple moons ago that they'd lost Crowstar, who was also the small tom's father, so it'd been especially hard on him, but now Rippedstar? StarClan must have had some sort of plan or reason behind their doings...

Keeping his gaze on Poplartooth, the white tom's ears perked when his name was called. Temporary deputy? What news! When Rippedsky had fallen ill when his father had been leader, the tiny tom had been appointed temporary deputy then too, and being chosen to assist SkyClan's possible new leader once more was a true honor and privilege.

Standing up from where he sat at the front of the gathered cats, Tinylegs met the white and brown tom's gaze and gave a respectful dip of his head. "Thank you. I will serve the clan well," he mewed confidently, his usual soft smile sitting on his muzzle. At this point, he didn't quite understand why he wasn't just appointed as deputy, seeing as though he was a senior warrior and clearly fit for the job, but even so, he wasn't about to complain and was more than happy to serve his clan in any way possible, even if it was only temporarily.

Poplartooth's words hit Tigerleaf with an icy blow. Almost instantly, she felt the unfortunately familiar pangs of grief seize her heart. Despite the pain, however, she was strangely calm. She just sat silently even when his words had fully sunk in, staring up at the fluffy deputy with an emotionless expression on her face. Ahh... it happened again. She was surprised to hear such a thought ring through her head. The young she-cat would have expected herself to be more shaken at the news. Or perhaps she really was shaken, but just couldn't tell. Through the dull pain, all she could feel was a numbness. Foxhunter. Duskflower. Palepaw. Too many cats had already died. First Crowstar, then Rippedstar. How was she supposed to react? What was she supposed to feel? No words would come to her mind, no matter how hard she tried. Maybe StarClan had something against them.

Slowly, silently, her dull yellow gaze shifted to find Ripplepaw's pelt in the gathered cats. What kind of expression did her younger sister wear?

Her attention was only snapped back to Poplartooth when he announced the name of SkyClan's next deputy. Tinylegs. The striped warrior was able to easily pick out the small tom's form. She didn't know what kind of cat he was. Due to her youth, she didn't know much about SkyClan's warriors. However, she also had not known Poplartooth well when he was chosen as deputy. In fact, she still didn't. Poplartooth had done a good job as deputy, so Tinylegs probably would too. There was still the faint hope that Rippedstar had indeed survived, but she didn't see much use in clinging to that. As her clanmates began to call out the new deputy's name, she joined in.