I'm the Leader now. [open for 2]

With great care and willpower, Chivekit had carefully constructed her elaborate plan to take over as SkyClan leader. She'd seen that only the leader seemed to go on the Tallbranch, so clearly the branch gave Bloodstar special leader powers. After all, the moon was a big stone that apparently talked to all leaders and medicine cats and gave them stars. The higher up a cat went, the closer they were to the moon, and therefore they could become leader. It just all fit together neatly in her head.

So with great confidence that she, little Chivekit, could become Chivestar, the kit crawled up the trunk of the Tallbranch tree, little dagger like claws trying their best to find purchase in the bark. She was nearly there, nearly at the branch that would make her the strongest cat in the world, when the piece of bark she was putting all her weight on broke!

A sickening crunch followed a sudden drop as she plummeted to the ground.

Lionpaw had just returned from a small walk around the territory, avoiding any borders for now, following his run in with the rogue and coyote incident. His scars were barely healing, probably due to lack of the nutrition. The older apprentice was feeling weak, finding it difficult to shake the injuries. He was heading to the apprentice den to take a quick nap when something interesting caught his eye. A kit, climbing the tree to Tall Branch. His paws already had him meandering over when the kit fell to the ground with a thud. Picking up the pace, Lionpaw sprinted to help the kit and closing the remaining distance quickly. "Kit? Hey, kit! Are you alright?" He stood above her, unsure what to do. He leaned down and licked her cheek to make sure she was alive. It wasn't that far, was it? StarClan, what was with cats falling in front of him?

Ooc; mobile

"Yes... No... Maybe?" Chivekit moaned as she tried to breathe through the shock of being winded badly from her fall. Her fur was a mess of dust, pine needles and bark chips. She was lucky to be alive and unbroken, but the humiliation of falling bit sharper than any pain. How was she going to be leader now? No cat would ever respect her. "Who are you, you're big."

Lionpaw straightened his shoulders and let out a small sigh of relief as the kit moved and started talking. He did a quick once over of her, and she seemed fine. The comment on his size was a compliment to him, as he was proud of his very large stature. "My name is Lionpaw, can you guess why?" He nudged the kit gently with his paw, attempting to try and straighten herself up and recover from the fall. "What's your name, and why did you try to climb up there? That's for Bloodstar." He knew the kit meant no harm, but it was the rules. It was important to teach kits rules, right?

"'cause you're the size of a Lion?" He didn't have a big shaggy mane like a Lion, so obviously he was named after his size, Chivekit concluded. She wished with all her heart she could be that big one day, maybe then she wouldn't fall off a tree. Being small was an awful and terribly embarrassing affair, and frankly, she was very much done with it.

"I'm Chivekit, 'cause I'm tough like chives sprouting in Leafbare." She stated with pride, though wilting a tad when her failed adventure was mentioned. "I wanted to get up there so I could be leader. I heard to be leader you have to touch the moon for your nine lives."

Lionpaw nodded, sufficiently satisfied with the small ego stroke from a random kit. "That's right! My color didn't hurt either." The golden tom nodded along with the kit as she spoke. "It's been an extra harsh leaf-bare I heard, so that means you're extra strong. Your parents must be very proud of how you've grown during this trying time." He also threw in a small laugh when the kit - Chivekit - announced she thought that the Tall Branch is how a leader got their nine lives. Although the concept was fully out of his grasp, in the sense he still couldn't figure out how exactly StarClan gave lives in the very secret ceremony, he still knew the basics. "The elders are talking about the Moon Stone. It's a really big stone in a mountain. You also go there to talk to StarClan before you become a warrior. The Tall Branch is just where Bloodstar makes announcements to the clan. Plus, you have to be Deputy first, like Ashstorm." Lionpaw sat down as he spoke, pulling his fluffy tail around his paws. "I'll be visiting the Moon Stone in the next few days." He added, slightly smuggly.

Chivekit was preening at Lionpaw's compliment, her muzzle was held high and her chest puffed, which soon morphed into wide-eyed curiosity at the mention of how leaders actually got their lives. So the Tallbranch wasn't a part of what made Bloodstar a leader, that was surprising for her, but it sort of made sense since Ashstorm did jump up there sometimes, and she wasn't leader yet. But to think there was another moon hidden in a cave, the world was filled with such mindblowing wonders, it was hard to process them all!

"Does that mean you could be chosen as Leader too? What if the moon picks you next?!" Lionpaw was pretty big, and he knew a lot of stuff. He could easily be leader in her eyes, that's all it took, right? "Oh please, Lionpaw! Can you take me with you? I promise I won't cause trouble, I want to see the moon too!"

Lionpaw couldn't help but let out the small grin he was trying to hold back. Boy, this kit reminded him of himself at that age. Full of wonder and ambition. He hoped that Chivekit's desire for life didn't drain from her quickly as it had him. "I sure would bring you if I could, Chivekit, but it's a solo adventure. Don't worry though, you'll be visiting the Moon Stone before you even know it. Apprenticeship lasts in a blink of an eye!" Oh, if only that were true. His heart ached for him to receive his warrior name already. Absentmindedly, he pawed at his torn ear before wincing in pain. Right, Muddythorn said not to do that. "I wish I could be the leader, too. But I don't think will choose me... Yet. One day though. One day I'll be Lionstar and you'll be my faithful Deputy. Then you'll be Chivestar!" Perhaps. One could dream, of course. But his heart knew it was tugging him down a different path. He'd probably die trying to retrieve his dream.

Though being told she couldn't get to see the Moon's stone till she was an apprentice herself, Chivekit was somewhat mollified by Lionpaw's grandiose statement that maybe, one day they could be leader and deputy together. What if they were co-leaders? They could be the strongest clan in the whole world! Clearly she needed to work extra hard to become an apprentice extra soon. Caught up in her own little world, she missed Lionpaw's introspection, and blindly meowed. "Well, okay. I will work super hard and join you as apprentice soon. You can't become leader until I'm a warrior too, promise?"