WillowClan/1

Rainpaw jolted awake. Her fur wasn't groomed and she was late for patrol again. *Telling by the way Mistystream was calling me*, She thought with a sigh. -Rainpaw

"Rainpaw!" Mistystream called from her place at the Clanmound, where Moondust was assigning the day's patrols. "Are you coming?" *Sometimes this apprentice is impossible to train! How can I if she's never here!* Mistystream thought with a sigh. She padded over to the apprentice's den, preparing herself for anything she could find. But nothing could have prepared her for this. Rainpaw, usually so neat and on time, was sitting in her nest, fur clearly ungroomed, staring at nothing with a look of sheer terror on her face. "Rainpaw!" Mistystream exclaimed, staring at her apprentice. "Are you okay?" -Mistystream

”Uh. Y-yeah. I’m coming!” Rainpaw answered as she started to quickly lick her fur. She padded out of the apprentices den grooming her chest fur. *Hopefully, The hunt will get my mind off of my dream of the badger,* Rainpaw thought as she padded up to Mistystream, she tried to lick her pelt rapidly so that she’d at least look a little presentable. “Hey! So who’s going on patrol with us?” She asked as she met the brown she-cat's pale blue gaze. -Rainpaw

"Brackenleaf and Firepaw," replied Mistystream. "Skystar dosen't have time to train Firepaw, and she thought it would be good practice." She headed toward the entrance, calling to Brackenleaf as she went. They padded out of camp, Rainpaw and Firepaw behind, chatting, and she and Brackenleaf in front, traveling silently. -Mistystream

Rainpaw glanced at Firepaw, “So! Whatcha think you’ll catch? I bet I’m gonna catch the biggest squirrel Skystar's ever seen!” Firepaw had a grin on her face now and said, “you do know your only like two moons in being an apprentice right?” Rainpaw narrowed her eyes. “So! That doesn’t matter! I know how to hunt!” Firepaw shrugged and said, “ well, good luck on that squirrel then, if you even find one as big as you are. Anyways, I think I’m gonna catch a few mice.” Firepaw turned back towards were the patrol was going. “ are we gonna hunt near the Skytree?” Rainpaw called towards Brackenleaf as he was leading the patrol. -Rainpaw

"Yeah! Hey Mistystream! Shall we hunt near Skytree?" Brackenleaf asked. "Sure! Let's do it!" Replied Mistystream. "But make sure not to stray into SeaClan territory! Even thought they are our friends, we shouldn't push that boundary!" -Mistystream ((Just FYI, Brackenleaf is actually... \*drumroll\*... MY DOG!! His name is Pretzel. :D

Yes! This is the perfect place to hunt a big fat squirrel! Rainpaw thought as the patrol arrived at the tall tree, this was the second time Rainpaw has ever seen the big oak and it made her stomach tie in a knot when she looked up the tree, who’d want to climb that? She thought. BACK TO HUNTING RAINPAW! she scolded herself out of her own thoughts. She scented the morning air, it was something... a bird? Rainpaw tiptoed towards were the scent was fresher and saw the raven, it was a little bigger than her but she could take it. Okay, Rainpaw remember what you were taught! Rainpaw closed her eyes to remember. She went to a crouch and clawed the earth underneath her paws and when the black bird leaned over to peck at the ground she jumped. -Rainpaw

Mistystream padded though the undergrowth near Skytree. She was heading towards the river, wanting to fish some. She jumped down onto the bank, being careful not to let her shadow fall on the water. But another shadow loomed behind her. She scented something... *A badger!* "Mouse dung!" She hissed, whirling around and making for the nearest tree. -Mistystream

The massive raven hung from Rainpaw's jaws as she tried not to drag the prey she’d caught. The bird was a little bigger than her and she struggled to keep it in front of her paws but stumbled over its tail feathers as she yanked it up. As she arrived near the roots of the Skytree she saw Firepaw grooming herself. She glanced up to see the black bird in the small grey apprentices mouth and paused. “How did you manage to catch that?” She asked a, little shock in her voice. “Training. Like all apprentices.” Rainpaw answered as she dropped the massive bird on top of the small finch that scented of Firepaw. Rainpaw glanced back at Firepaw. She had licked her paw and wiped her muzzle. “What?” She asked. “Oh, noth-” Rainpaw paused as she heard faint yowling. “Did you hear that?” She asked the ginger apprentice in front of her. She looked unamused. “Hear what?” She looked at her, disbelief trickled in her blue eyes. “I thought... never mind.” Rainpaw drew away from Firepaw and trotted through the forest, scenting and waiting for prey. -Rainpaw

As soon as Rainpaw came back to the Skytree empty-pawed she sat there licking her tail. “Nothing?” Firepaw asked as she stretched herself. Rainpaw didn’t reply. Then there was a loud yowling followed wit a sound of a breaking branch that Rainpaw knew that Firepaw heard. “What was that!?” She asked, her fur pricked up as the loud cracking of a branch had startled the two young apprentices. “I don’t know, we should go see!” Rainpaw mewed to Firepaw. “What if it’s something big?!” Firepaw said, eyes wide. “Ugh! Don't be a Scaredy-mouse! Come on!” Rainpaw dashed into the forest, fur bristling and fear trickling through her body as the two she-cats raced to see what made all of the commotion. -Rainpaw

"Help!" Cried Mistystream as she dashed toward an elm tree. *Why is it so hard to climb!?* She would have to find another tree. Suddenly, Rainpaw and Firepaw burst through the undergrowth and turned on the badger. *Great StarClan, No! They'll kill themselves!* -Mistystream

Rainpaw stared in horror. Her mentor was chased up a tree by a big badger! Firepaw‘s ears were fleat and both the She-Cats furs were bristling. Rainpaw looked at Firepaw and said, “we have to help her! Firepaw, we have to distract the badger! I’ll help! Go!!” She hissed as Mistybreeze let out another yowl that Rainpaw couldn’t put to words. “Go!” Rainpaw swiped Firepaws ears and then the ginger apprentice ran towards the badger. Claws unsheathed, teeth baring, and fur bristling, the two she-cats were heading towards their dooms. StarClan help us! Rainpaw preyed as she sank her teeth into the ragged fur of the badger. -Rainpaw

Horror stricken Rainpaw hissed at the big beast that the two apprentices were attacking. Rainpaw clawed and bit at the badger and was knocked off of her paws and suddenly remembered her dream: the badger was killing so many cats, blood on its claws. Rainpaw shook the thoughts as she got back up on her hunches and she saw blood drip from her face but ignored it. I have to keep fighting! Rainpaw thought as she leaped into battle again when the bushes rustled. Brackenleaf had suddenly ran into the clearing and gasped. -Rainpaw

Mistystream leaped from her tree, determined to help the two apprentices fight off the badger. But Rainpaw was already fighting, a whirlwind of teeth and claws. The badger was bleeding heavily, with multiple scratches along its flank. She rushed into the battle, leaping over the badger, whirling around, and clawing its hind legs. -Mistystream

Flamepaw rushed over to meet her mentor as more pelts that scented of WillowClan cats came out of the bushes. *YES! WillowClan for the win!* Rainpaw thought as Skystar slashed at the badger's muzzle along with Snowstorm and Nightfoot clawing at its back. Rainpaw settled as Stormstreak and Juniperpaw appeared with bundles of leaves in their mouths. “Thank StarClan!” Stormstreak sighed as she flicked her tail signaling Rainpaw and Firepaw towards her. -Rainpaw

"Rainpaw!" Mistystream ran towards Rainpaw, panting hard. "You were so brave!" Mistystream checked up on the other fighters, then signaled for Rainpaw to follow her back to camp. -Mistystream

Rainpaw was pushed into the Medicine Cat's den by Birdpaw, who had reasons that ‘just a few scratches’ weren’t just a little wound. Rainpaw was checked and had chewed on some poppy seeds as the three medicine cats put the paste of chewed up leaves onto her wounds, she flinched at the sting they brought. “There! All finished!” Juniperpaw sighed. Rainpaw spat the poppy seeds out, they were starting to get bitter. “Now take it easy tonight! You still need to recover like the rest of the wounded cats!“ Stormstreak meowed as Rainpaw left the den. Rainpaw saw the leader and the deputy chatting in front of Skystar's den. Rainpaw padded towards the apprentice's den but was stopped by Mistystream. The brown she-cat had an excited gaze on Rainpaw. -Rainpaw

"You're going to the Gathering!" Exclaimed Mistystream. She was happy at how well Rainpaw had performed during the battle. Rainpaw had also caught a raven as big a herself while out on patrol. She had definitely earn this Gathering. Suddenly there was a yowl from the Clanmound. -Mistystream

Rainpaw gazed up at the Clanmound, Skystar had yowled the Meeting words, “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the Clanmound for a clan meeting!” Rainpaw gazed around, Firepaw And Birdpaw had popped out of the medicine cat's den while Stormstreak was pointing towards a golden leaf and was saying something to Juniperpaw, the warriors were silent and Icepaw was flicking her tail excitedly. -Rainpaw

"As you may know, the Gathering is tonight. We will bring mostly warriors as the tensions from the recent attack are high," Skystar began. Mistystream thought of the recent attack by the ThornClan Alliance. Graystar had died in that battle, and Skystar, then Skyshadow, had become the leader of WillowClan. "The cats coming are Swiftshadow, Dawnpaw, Mistystream, Brackenleaf, Snowstorm, Sunflower and Rainpaw." -Mistystream

Rainpaw smiled as her name was chanted among the crowd of cats, Mistystream was chanting also. Rainpaw yawned then let out a low hiss as she felt something stab at her paw, she lifted her paw and looked. Nothing was there, not even the smallest thorn, she couldn’t let the clan know or else she wouldn’t go to the Gathering. She tried not to limp but the pain stung like a bee sting. Why me! Rainpaw hissed to herself. She bit back the pain as she trotted to the Medicine cats den. “What’s wrong Rainpaw!” Stormstreak yowled in alarm like a mother worried for her kit, medicine cats tend to cat like queens of the clans anyway. “I thought I had a small thorn in my paw.” Rainpaw replied calmly. “Birdpaw, take a look, Juniperpaw you get the right supplies. This is a test you two!” Stormstreak commanded. The medicine cat apprentices did as told. Rainpaw lifted her paw and Birdpaw looked at her pads. “Nothing.” She said with confusion. “Nothings there?” Juniperpaw asked. Stormstreak sighed. “let me see.” She padded forwards and looked at Rainpaws hurting pad. “Hmmm...” Stormstreak studied slowly. Rainpaw looked outside of the den and saw Icepaw and Firepaw playfight in front of Skystar. she wondered what was wrong with her paw? Maybe if she’d sleep then she’d feel better. “You should rest, it’s probably a thought you had about your paw.” Stormstreak suggested. “Ok, thanks!” Rainpaw then walked out trying to act normal as she passed the other cats. -Rainpaw

Mistystream walked next to Moondust as they headed to the gathering. She, Rainpaw, and Dawnpaw had all been chosen to go. As they neared Twotrees, they heard cats arguing. *ThornClan and TundraClan!* She thought. Even though ThornClan and TundraClan were allied, they argued frequently. "You stole prey!" Pricklestar, the current leader of ThornClan, meowed. "My warriors saw them do it!" Tundrastar looked outraged. "They did no such thing! Your warriors are lying!" She yowled. *They've started without us!* Mistystream thought. They hadn't been very late at all. *Pricklestar must have started it already because he wanted to accuse TundraClan,* She realized. -Mistystream

Stormstreak was very worried about her kit. *But Rainpaw dosen't know she's my kit,* thought Stormstreak. Neither did Birdpaw or Icepaw. Rainpaw was limping badly, and acted like she was in extreme pain. Stormstreak made a mental note to check up on her after the Gathering. -Stormstreak

Rainpaw was bristling her fur in annoyance and fear because the gathering hadn't even started and these leaders were fighting like kits in the nursery! Rainpaw hissed to herself. SeaClan was arriving now followed by BreezeClan and SwampClan. Rainpaw sighed as the TundraClan leader hushed herself, tail bristling. Rainpaw trotted over to Mistystream, “So much for a first gathering. These leaders are acting like kits! If I was leader I‘d have already won a battle by now!” Rainpaw was a little grumpy by her lack of sleep and the annoying pain in her paw. Why! Why can’t it be just a thorn! -Rainpaw

"Rainpaw! Are you okay?" Rainpaw was limping badly. Mistystream couldn't think of anything that could have caused it. She called Rainpaw and Dawnpaw over before the Gathering started. She wanted them both close, especially Rainpaw, because tensions were very high after the recent battle. The Great War had caused hostility between the Clans, and there was no more sharing tongues, except with the Clans of your alliance. ThornClan, BreezeClan, and SwampClan were mingling, while TundraClan hung back, probably from the recent argument between them and ThornClan. The WillowClan Alliance were sharing tongues. Dawnpaw was chatting with Tunnelpaw, a CaveClan apprentice. Rainpaw trailed behind Mistystream as she headed toward Thundermist, a StormClan warrior. -Mistystream

”I’m fine! Really, nothing to get jumpy about. Just a thorn in my paw!” Rainpaw said as if it didn’t bother her, but it did big time. Rainpaw sat near a SeaClan warrior and settled down. She checked her paw, nothing still! *Ugh! why, StarClan why?!* Rainpaw knew that coming to the Gathering was probably a bad idea but she had been sure that the pain would have been gone by now. Rainpaw tried to lick her paw but it was still stinging. She was bumped into by ash-brow tabby fur and almost really stumbled on a thorn. “Hey! Watch it!” She hissed to the tom. He looked annoyed. “You were in my way! Puny apprentice” he muttered coldly. “Hey! I am just as big as you are, mouse-brain!” She growled sharply back, stopping some other side conversations. The ash tabby tom growled under his breath and then said, “well I’d like to see a kittypet try and stop me!” Did he know? Did the eight Clans know about her past? Rainpaw whipped her head around and glared up at Skystar. The she-cat just glanced at the tom. “I bet one could!” Rainpaw spat. “Rainpaw-!” Skystar hissed. Rainpaw refused to budge. “No, don’t stop me! This TundraClan cat said that WillowClan is weak!” The tom just curled his lip but walked away. “Coward!” Rainpaw hissed. -Rainpaw

The full moons light hit the black spotted pelt of Borage, she had just brought back a snow hare wile most of the TundraClan cats were at the Gathering. “Nice catch!” Snowstorm called as Borage entered the camp. “Thanks!” She called back in reply. Frostfang had exited the warriors den and padded towards her. “What’s up?” She asked the white tom. “Er... I think Cloudleaf wants to see you... she says that it’s important.” There was a mix of secrecy and excitement in the toms voice. “Okay! I’ll go there right now!” Borage turned towards the medicine cats den and padded in. “You wanted me?” She asked Cloudleaf. The white she-cat looked amused. “How long has it been going on?” “Excuse me?” Cloudleaf chuckled. “Your expecting kits, how long have you known?” Borage was shocked, “I-I didn’t know! Well I’ve been feeling more tired since the half-moon...” -Borage (in TundraClan)

Back in WillowClan camp...

Sandkit opened her eyes in the darkness of the nursery. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, but when they did they went wide thoughts of mischief. There was a small hole in the back of the nursery wall.it was just large enough for her to get through. Thoughts scampered through her mind as she squeezed through the opening. *What mischief should I get up to today? Blocking up the warrior's den? Hiding the Medicine Cat herbs?* Sandkit was known for being the most annoying kit around. She was the master of the prank. Immediately after she emerged through the small opening, she spotted a large, spiky, branch that lay, unused, on the ground. *This was perfect!* She picked up the smaller section of the branch and pulled it to the apprentice's den. -Sandkit

"Sandkit, What are you you doing?" Sandkit was shocked to see Firepaw looking at her through sleepy eyes. "Oh..., um... I was taking this spikey-leaved plant out of camp. It was in the way," Sandkit said. "Oh, okay... I'm going to the dirtplace... Be right back...," Mewed Firepaw as she headed to the dirtplace tunnel. With Firepaw gone, now was the time to STRIKE! MUAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! BUAHAHAHAHAAA!!! Sandkit dashed into the apprentice's den, pulling the spike branch with her. she had to be quick. Now she had to pick her target... Her eyes landed on Rainpaw's nest. *The perfect place!* It was just the right amount of leaves, moss, and grass. She carefully lifted up the nest and slid the spike branch in. she patted down the nest then stepped away to look at her masterpiece. Thankfully, it looked normal. just to test it, she flopped down on it. Immediately, the spikey leave started clawing at her pelt. she yelped and stood up. Pretending to be Rainpaw, she started digging through the nest to find the source of the thorn-like leaves. She could fine nothing, but when she put everything back how she found it and laid on it again, the same thing happend. *Mission complete! Time to esca-*  "Uhh Sandkit? What are you still doing here?" Firepaw had retured from the dirtplace. She decided to act stupid. "I PRETEND TO BE WARRIOR. MUCH FUN." Firepaw looked startled. " Y-you know this isn't the warrior den, right...?" "THIS IS WARRIOR DEN. SURE I AM OF IT." "You know what?" "WAT." "I give up. Can you... you know... *leave* please?" "OKAY." I left the apprentice's den knowing that I had completed my mission. -Sandkit

Rainpaw hissed aloud and silenced the cats around her. “Gatherings are not for fighting!” She growled. The tom hissed back as he was walking. “You should know better than to argue with a TundraClan apprentice, especially Hawkpaw, as he is the strongest apprentice here,” Icepaw said in her ear. “Well, he doesn’t scare me! Not one bit!” Rainpaw challenged. Suddenly she let out a yowl as a paw stomped on her tail, “Ack!” She swung her hard around to see her mentor, anger grew like a flame in her eyes, “Uh, hi, Mistystream...” Rainpaw flattened her ears, ready to be yowled at. -Rainpaw

"What were you doing?!" Mistystream hissed, glaring at her. "Stirring up a fight at a Gathering is *never* a good idea!" Rainpaw looked shameful and embarrased. Many of the cats had stopped their conversations and began to stare at her. But just then, a yowl from the left dogwood tree began the gathering. "Stay close to me and be quiet!" Mistystream hissed as the Gathering began. -Mistystream

Rainpaw entered camp, fur wet after the Gathering was secede by the rain. She wished her paws weren’t covered in mud. She saw the cats enter their dens and Sandkit had been at the entrance of the nursery running towards her, yelling, “WHATTT HAPPENDDD! TELL ME NOWW!” She mewed as she stumbled in front of Rainpaw, Rainpaw looked down at the tabby kit and said, “well, it was boring. ‘The prey is running well in all of the clans, oh wait! War stuff! Yay we are yelling at each other now!’ And then it started to rain and we left, so. Yeah.” Rainpaw trotted away towards the fresh-kill pile leaving Sandkit to her thoughts. —Rainpaw

"And this is Celadine. Do you remember what it is for?" Asked Stormstreak. She was quizzing Juniperpaw. "Damaged eyes," She answered promptly. You used some on Echolight's eyes after the pricked them." "Good job," Stormstreak mewed. "And this one?" "Borage. It's used for fever or helping queens produce milk." "Very good! What about this?" They went on quizzing until sunhigh. -Stormstreak.

Rainpaw entered the Medicine Cats Den, feeling sick of the herb scents and limping, tired of pretending not to. “What’s wrong!?” Stormstreak asked, alarm filled her voice as she paused the quiz. “My paw hurts a lot now,” she said. “Hmm... you should rest here, it might get better.” Juniperpaw suggested. “Sure! You can rest as long as you want to Rainpaw.” Stormstreak said after. “Thanks.” Rainpaw lay on a moss pile licking her paw. “It still hurts huh?” “Yeah, I don't know why, it was after the Badger battle...” Stormstreak sat silent and looking out of the den at Skystar and Moondust. “Well, did anyone get hurt, maybe hit or paw stamped on?” Stormstreak asked with a serious tone. “Well....... I did see Firepaw get her paw stamped on......” Juniper paw looked at her mentor, worry in her eyes. “Hmmm... FIREPAW!” Stormstreak called. The ginger she-cat trotted in. “Yeah?” She asked, “Did you hurt your paw in the Badger battle?” “Yeah. Why?” “Does it still hurt?” “No.... a little” Rainpaw shoved her head between her paws and closed her eyes as the cats spoke. What is happening to me? She thought as she drifted into a dreadful sleep. -Rainpaw

Borage found herself enwinding tails with Frostfang in the nursery, he had told her even more about the warriors code and battle rules..... the next morning he had been announced to come on a border patrol and fight off any BreezeClan cats, he came back with blood streaming from his claw scar on his eye and bloodstained fur. “What happened!” Borage yowled as she ran out of the nursery, “we won.” He said with a weird grin on his face, almost villainous. “Won?!" "We totally kicked there tails! Hah!” Borage sat, confused. “Did you see how many apprentices Frostfang killed? He has the bloodstains to prove it!” Falconfeather hissed. Borage knew that she was in the nursery too early and decided to go back into the Warriors den. “What! You said that that was against the warrior code!” She hissed! “Well, we won didn’t we? A win is a win!” He snarled back. “‘A win is a win!?” Borages rage grew and grew as the two argued, silencing the camp until Frostfang had been filled with rage and left the den. “Come back here! You LIAR!” Borage hissed racing after him. He snarled and spit as he slashed at Borage s nose and made it bleed. She gasped. “LEAVE ME ALONE, KITTYPET!” The whole camp gasped, Borage felt as if Frostfang had changed, Cloudleaf came tumbling out of her den with herbs, but Borage pushed them away. “I‘m leaving this merciless clan!” She spat as she glared at Tundrastar, she saw the leader flinch back at the disgust in Borage's eyes as the padded towards the clans entrance silently. -Borage

As Borage was leaving, Tundrastar padded after her. *What have you done, Frostfang?!* "I'm sorry," She said out loud hoping to console Borage. "It's not the entire Clan that's like that, just Frostfang. Actually, BreezeClan is on our side. He wasn't supposed to attack them. I don't know why he's stirring up trouble, but it's going to destroy our alliance if he's not careful," Tundrastar went on. "Even if you are still gong to leave, I just wanted you to know that." -Tundrastar

*A few days later...*

"Rainpaw!" Mistystream called, sighing, "Come on! It's time for your hunting assessment!" Rainpaw sprang to her paws. "Really?!" "Yes, really! I mean what I say! Come on!" They padded out of camp and towards Twotrees. About halfway, Mistystream stopped. "Here we will begin. Catch as much as you can before sundown." Mistystream glanced at the position of the sun. It was sunhigh. Rainpaw trotted off, and MIstystream sat down to think. *I hope she does well,* Mistystream thought. A few days ago, Rainpaw had been confined to the medicine den because of her paw. Now she was free again, and ready to train. *She needs to hurry,* thought Mistystream. *I have to train Dawnpaw and Maplepaw in fighting today.* Having three apprentices was not easy. Even though Maplepaw was about to have his final assessment, he still needed to train. *I'd better get going,* she thought. Rainpaw was heading towards the abandoned twoleg nest. Mistystream got up and followed her, tracking her silently. -Mistystream

Sandkit was forming a plan in her mind. Rainpaw had told her what happened at the Gathering. *If leaders are acting like kits... Can kit act as leaders...? Hmm... Yes... I think they can. Ah, now this is a challenge! I'll go to each of the clans and recruit rebellious kits like me! Then I'll form a secret prank club that meets every half moon at Twotrees to discuss prank strategies! We'll calll ourselves... KITCLAN!!! I'll promote myself to... SANDSTAR OF KITCLAN!!!! YEEEEE!!! This is perfect! Hmm... But when will I be able to sneak out of camp?* Sandkit l looked around. Nobody was watching her. She walked into the nursury and squeezed out her small escape-hole. She was facing toward the StormClan border. If she got in trouble, she would just escape again. She had no interest in becoming an apprentice anyways. She crept off into the woods, heading for StormClan territory. -Sandkit

Rainpaw padded into the abandoned twoleg nest, ready to pounce on prey like perched birds, frogs in small puddles, and mice outside of their dens. Rainpaw fell into a hunters crouch as she spotted movement in the grasses... Blackbird! She thought as she leaped. She landed on the body, her weight making it limp. “Thank you for this catch StarClan” she hunted throughout the day until she thought she had enough. Two small blackbirds, a few mice... aaaannnndddd.... my next catch! She saw scraps of black fur on the other side of a bush. She lowered herself and pounced, but she didn‘t land on a small blackbird body, she landed on a cat! “Hey!” She hissed as she flung herself away, off of the toms black fur. She saw his dark blue gaze land on her and he hissed, “what are you doing in my home?!” Rainpaw was a little confused. “OH! Your one of those loners that live here! I totally forgot about the rumors. I guess hunting here was a bad decision... well, I‘m sorry to intrude, I want no trouble.” Rainpaw tried to sneak away until another cat landed behind her. “Your a forest cat, RIGHT” the cinnamon tabby she-cat asked. “Yeah, mouse-brain! What else can I be!” Rainpaw hissed, “Wait! Cindermist! We have a chance to gather our own territory with this cat!” She hissed to the black tom. “You have a point Russetbird... What would Snakegaze think?” “I agree! We should take her!” A tan tabby tom emerges from a fern tunnel. “I am NO ONES prisoner you fox-hearts!” She unsheathes her claws ready for battle. —Rainpaw

Borage pushed through the brambles, starving, alone, and devastated after leaving TundraClan. She was walking along the thunderpath until her legs couldn’t Carrie her anymore and she collapsed. “Don’t worrie my kits, it’s ok. You still have me to care for you.” She tried to pull herself up but ended up collapsing once more. Oh no! She heard paw-steps heading out of the forest with mixed trees. Then a tortoiseshell she-cat appeared, followed by a slender grey tabby she-cat and a white tom and a ginger tabby tom. Borage new that they were WillowClan cats, she also knew that they saw her as the tortoiseshell padded up the hill over to her. “What in the name of StarClan is a Queen doing so far from the nursery?!” She spat as she got closer to Borage. “I am a loner, I am expecting kits soon, I’m just passing through your territory.” Borage tried to get up, but failed. “You are in no condition to stand, young she-cat. I’ve seen you at gatherings... Why have you left TundraClan?” The she-cat asked. Borage told her what had happened. “I see, you are welcomed to come and rest at our camp Borage.” Moondust has flicked her tail, signaling the white tom and ginger tabby tom to help Borage up.”what about looking Afro Sandkit?” The ginger tom asked, “I don’t know Brackenleaf, these are tough times for WillowClan this season“ Once Borage was up, the toms have supported her sides and they trotted back to WillowClans camp. -Borage

Mistystream and the rest of the patrol quietly surrounded the twoleg nest, keeping their eyes on the loners. Skystar signaled with her tail that it was time to strike. Rainpaw was yowling spitefully at her captors. "I am NO ONES prisoner you fox-hearts!" She unsheathed her claws. Skystar signaled for Mistystream to strike. She limped into the open, pretending to be hurt. "Please don't hurt me!" She wailed pitifully. "I just want to see my apprentice!" Rainpaw was looking at her like she had grown another leg. "Don't capture me!" The loners were surrounding her. One of them leaped on her, pinning her down. "Never mind," she muttered. "Actually, my good friends," She mewed cheerfully, "Change of plans! I'll give you one chance to surrender. Do you take it?" The black loner stared at her in disbelief. "Yeah, riiight, *He mewed. "Then I've got no choice." Unsheathing her claws, she sprang up, clawing the ginger tom who had been holding her down. "WillowClan, attack!" The warriors of WillowClan rushed out of the surrounding rubble, easily outmatching the rogues. "Now do you surrender?" "Yes! Yes we do!" The black loner gasped as he was pinned by three warriors. "Good," Mistystream mewed. -Mistystream​*

“Thank you WillowClan! I thought I was about to be crow-food!” Rainpaw licked a paw as the patrol padded through the woods passing the Skytree heading in the direction of camp. “Well, we are glad we came in time! Or else you would’ve became crow-food!” Icepaw giggled. “Misystream... the loners. They were talking about territory of their own... What do you think they meant?” Rainpaw asked as she trotted up to her mentors side. “I don’t know. I think I will talk to Moondust and Skystar about it though.” Mistystream didn’t look back at her apprentice. “Good catches by the way! You’ve really grown!” “Th-Thanks! I learned from the best!” Rainpaw purred. As the cats arrived at camp Firepaw looked at the prey Rainpaw had caught. “Wow.... interesting catch I guess...” She mumbled. Rainpaw pretended not to take the compliment or even hear it. As the patrol cats dropped the prey and scattered Rainpaw was about ready for a nap until she saw Mistystream pad up to her. “Yeah?” She asked.” -Rainpaw

"You passed!" Mistystream mewed. She was very excited on how well her apprentice was doing. -Mistystream

Swiftshadow yawned as she heard Mistystream call the apprentices. *I should go on a walk by myself.* She thought. She padded along the ThronClan border, remembering the ledgend of Sprucefall. This Clan was where the mystic she-cat had lost two of her loves. "I wonder where Sprucefall is now, or if she is still alive at all..." Swiftshadow wondered aloud. -Swiftshadow

Sandkit padded through the thick underbrush, not covering her trail. She was headed toward the Stormclan camp, and she was not afraid. She would sneak to the back of the nursury and and make a hole similar to the one in the back of the Willowclan nursury. Sandkit advanced though some tall grass and saw the camp. She spotted the nursury over to the side. She slnked around the edge of the camp until she was at the back of the nursury. Sandkit dug through the sticks and leaves until there was a small, barely noticeable hole. She would wait until nightfall. -Sandkit

Swiftshadow sighed, annoyed by the constant noise of the apprentices. She walked into the forest, near the StormClan border. She stared off into the distance, thinking about her deseaced mate, Redcreek. Suddenly, she heard a rustle in the bushes. "Who's there!?" she growled. "Nobody who will harm you." A soft voice mewed. A chestnut brown she-cat emerged from the bracken, with a dark ginger tom following. "Who are you, and what are you doing in WillowClan?" Swiftshadow challenged. "I am just a loner with my mate, Cedar." the other she-cat meowed. "I am Spruce." Swiftshadow's eyes widened. "Do you just happen to be the long-lost WillowClan warrior Sprucefall?" she asked. Spruce winced. "I don't go by that name anymore." she told Swiftshadow. "I am just looking for shelter so my kits can be born in a safe place." It was then when Swiftshadow noticed Sprucefall's swollen belly. "I can take you to WillowClan." Swiftshadow offered. You can hang out with some of the other queens." Sprucefall sighed again. "I might aswell." Swiftshadow lead her to her home. -Swiftshadow

Borage saw Swiftshadow bring a strange cat into camp. She saw that she was a queen also! She padded out of the nursery ready to greet the brown she-cat but was cut off by Moondust. “What have you brought back to camp?” Swiftshadow looked a little worried, when Borage stepped in. “What does it look like? It’s another loner!” Borage was overjoyed to see the loners. “This is a loner who only wishes to have her kits in peace.” Swiftshadow added. “Very well. The nursery is over there.“ Moondust padded towards the leaders den and vanished. “Hi! I’m Borage! I also came as a loner.... but to join this clan.” She paused as she knew they arrived at the nursery. —Borage

Swiftshadow sat down next to Spruce in the nursury." Is your story really true?" she asked. "Like, about Foxpaw and Birchtail and the oath?" Spruce sighed. "That is a story I have been trying to forget." She meowed. "I just want to raise kits with Cedar in peace, like you said." Swiftshadow was shocked. "But you are a WillowClan legend!" she gasped. "Are you sure you aren't just a *bit* proud of your story?" Spruce frowned. "I have made too many bad choices in my life." she sighed. "I am certain any cat wants to forget their mistakes." Swiftshadow understood. "Is that why you left WillowClan? Were cats there constantly reminding you of your past choices?" Spruce nodded. "I came back beacause Cedar wanted our kits to grow up as Clan warriors. I would do anything for my mate and kits..." Swiftshadow left Spruce alone with Cedar. *I wish I could love somebody as much as Cedar loves Spruce.* She thought. *I mean, that was me and RedCreek... before he died. I wonder... does he want me to move on? Surely Redcreek wouldn't want me to grieve for him forever... -Swiftshadow*

Swiftshadow yawned as she got up in the morning. *I guess I have to train my apprentices this morning.* She thought. "Ugh." Swiftshadow trotted over to the apprentice den, and found that Lilypaw wasn't there. "Lilypaw?" Swift called. "She went on patrol!" Mistystream called. "Without me?!" Swiftshadow hissed, annoyed. "Apprentices these days. They think mentors don't exist anymore." -Swiftshadow

Stormstreak padded toward the thunderpath with Birdpaw behind her. "Birdpaw, can you remember what we needed? We just reviewed it." "Mallow, Goldenrod, and Violetleaf," Birdpaw answered promtply. "Correct. Now, where is the Mallow?" "Next to the ThornClan border, just past the training hollow." 'Good job. Go get some for the stocks, while I pick the Goldenrod and Violetleaf." Stormstreak walked towards the thunderpath to get the Goldenrod, while Birdpaw veered to pick the Mallow. -Stormstreak

”Thanks for going on a quick patrol with me Lilypaw, it means a lot to me. Especially when we have our ceremonies tonight. I was kinda stressed, but you made sneaking outta camp easy!” Rainpaw sighed as the two she-cats headed for the Skytree. “Nah, don't worry, they won't find us! I have hopefully hid our scents well with those lavender strands! Heh! They’ll think it was those medicine cats on their dopy patrol for herbs.” Lilypaw yawned. “It is a quiet morning though! That might do us good if we wanna hunt! I mean, I’m nervous too, and I'm not even close to my assessment! I'm just at level one!” The two she-cats ducked under a hanging fern and found themselves in front of the Skytree. “Wanna climb to the highest branch?” Lilypaw challenged. “You know I do!” Rainpaw raced her way up the tree, clawing the bark and not looking down. As they reached the top of the tree Rainpaw perched herself on a thick branch. The sun was rising in a golden sky. “Whoa...” she whispered in astonishment. “I hope our mentors don’t get too mad about us hingin out. We need some air and space to calm down.” Lilypaw mewed as she set paw in the branch. “Wow...” she gasped as she saw the sun. “Have you heard about those cats that Swiftshadow brought back to camp? It’s like we’re collecting and depending on liners now! Super weird.” Lilypaw snarled. Rainpaw felt a little hurt and let out a small frown. Lilypaw saw. “Not-not that- not that all loners are that bad.... your not that bad! Your the best.” She said as she let out a goofy grin. “We should get down, it’s almost sunhigh... “LILYPAW! WHAT IN THE NAME OF STARCLAN ARE YOU DOING UP THERE!!!” a voice yowled from down below. “Fox dung! Swiftshadow found us!” She hissed. “How!” Rainpaw burst. “Maybe.... MISTYSTREAM! I lied to her about going away, I guess she told Swiftshadow. We should go back down then.” Lilypaw sighed. “We’ll have to tell them what I told you so that they understand... let’s go.” Rainpaw mewed as the two leaped down the branches. —Rainpaw

Borage felt sick, her belly swollen and her heart ached. “Why do I need these?” She asked Juniperpaw annoyed of all those gross leaves the apprentice had fed her. “It'll help your kits when you have them! You know there‘s only a few more moons until they’re born, right?” She asked. “Uh- Yeah! I was being a lot more tired lately! Of course I’d notice! Heh heh.” She sighed as the apprentice left the den leaving Borage with Spruce. “I wish I couldn’t have these herbs, they taste yucky and make my belly worse....” She paused as Spruce had her eye on something else. Cedar. “I think Cedar is blending in fine with the clan! He is a naturally born hunter! And he has some friends in WillowClan now! That’s good... right?” Borage staggered as she tried to get up and yowled in pain as she plopped onto her moss bed again. She breathed shallowly and hardly at the same time. “Wh-What happened!” She growled as she felt numb near her paws. She felt pain trickle over her body and started to fiercly groom her chest furs taking her anger out on them. —Borage

Swiftshadow walked into the nursury to check on Spruce. "My kits are supposed to come in a few days!" Spruce purred. "Me and Cedar are so excited. We are already thinking of names!" Swiftshadow smiled. She wondered if she could get kits of her own someday... Swiftshadow took a lone hunting patrol to the ThornClan border. She froze in her track when she smelled fresh ThornClan scent. She whriled around to see a ThornClan tom staring at her. "Oh.. um... hi." the tom mewed nervously. "I'm sorry I'm here... I dont mean to case harm... I can leave now." Swiftshadow felt pity for the tom. "I wouldn't hurt an innocent cat." She meowed. "Just as long as you dont go too far over the border, or steal prey." The tom seemed to grow more comfortable. "I am Brambleheart." he mewed. "Son of Pricklestar, littermate of the deputy, Rosebreeze." Swiftshadow nodded. "I am Swiftshadow of WillowClan, littermate to Skystar." Brambleheart smiled. "You are not as defensive as most WillowClan warriors." He said. "I don't agree with the Great War." Swiftshadow told him. "I think our entire Clan should just be friendly with the others." Swiftshadow talked to Brambleheart for the rest of the day. "C..can I see you here tomorrow night?" Brambleheart asked shyly. Swiftshadow purred. "I would be happy too." -Swiftshadow

The sun was higher that morning as Borage grew more tired and weak. She gave up on trying to be friends with Spruce. The brown she-cat barely talked and clearly didn’t want to be in WillowClan anyway. Borage was frustrated with herself for making decisions. First she left her mate, the only cat she felt close to since she joined a clan as a lone, now she HAD to join WillowClan for the love of her kits, and now whenever she tries to make friends with another loner she is not even heard! Borage was silent and hurting. Her belly was very swollen and hurt, she knew she couldn’t hold the secret any longer and yowled for Firepaw. “Yes?” The ginger tabby she-cat mewed. “Could you fetch all of the medicine cats?” She asked. “Ok, why? Belly hurt?” Firepaw sounded eager to know. “Yes.... why?” Borage replied. “Oh, just wondering for the day I become a queen.” Firepaw raced away to fetch the medicine cats leaving borage with Spruce. She said nothing, Borage didn’t even look at the she-cat. Until she was hit by agonizing pain in her belly and knew that it was time her kits came, *why so early! Oh come on little ones! Let you all be worth it...* Borage hissed and yowled in pain as the medicine cats ran in*.* —Borage

"It'll be fine, it'll be fine! You're doing well!" Stormstreak tried to calm Borage. "Juniperpaw!" "Yes?" Juniperpaw mewed. "Fetch fennel for the hip pain, raspberry leaves and ragwort to give her strength, honey to sooth her, and cobwebs! Grab moss too!" Juniperpaw heard her and raced out of the den. "Birdpaw, stay here!" Borage was hissing in pain. "She's swelling to much to give birth! She needs nettle! Birdpaw, follow Juniperpaw and tell her to get stinging nettle!" Birdpaw raced out of the den. Spruce was still quiet and unresponding. *What's wrong with her?! She should be helping!* "Spruce! Can't you do anything?! Help calm Borage down!" "H-huh? Oh!" Spruce raced over to Borage. Juniperpaw raced back into the Nursery, trailed by Birdpaw. "Here's the herbs!" She dumped fennel, moss, cobwebs, a leaf wrap of honey, nettle, raspberry leaves, and ragwort. Stormstreak quickly chewed the raspberry and ragwort into a poultice and mixed it with the honey. Borage obediently swallowed it, probable because the honey sweetened it. "We need to bring the swelling down!" Stormstreak mewed. She had Borage swallow the fennel to bring down the pain in her hips. She applied the nettle to bring down the swelling. "We just need to delay the kitting enough for the swelling to go down, so the kits can come. We'll repeat this until the kitting is over." Stormstreak remembered hearing a story of the ancient Pebble Heart doing this same thing. It was said that he was the first medicine cat of long-lost ShadowClan, from which it was rumored that ThornClan was decended. *ShadowClan must have been hostile and defensive. But Pebble Heart sounded caring and kind!* Stormstreak realized she was dawdling. The swelling had gone down enough, but Borage was thrashing in pain while Spruce tried to calm her. "Borage!" Stormstreak mewed. "Calm down and count to ten. By that time, the first kit will have come." Borage visibly tried to calm herself and stopped thrashing. Then the first kit came, four others soon after. -Stormstreak

"Swiftshadow!" the medicine cat called. "Come and help Borage with her kitting!" *NO! I have to meet Brambleheart!* Swiftshadow thought. "Uh, sorry! I can't... I'm on late patrol!" Swiftshadow called as she dashed out of camp to the ThornClan border. "Swiftshadow!" Brambleheart gasped. "You came!" Swiftshadow purred. "Of course I did." The two cats entwined tails, purring. "I don't care if this is breaking the warrior code." Brambleheart purred louder. "I would give up anything to be with you." Swiftshadow's heart ached. Redcreek had once said the exact same thing to her. The two cats spoke with each other until dawn. "Oh Swiftshadow..." Brambleheart meowed softly. "I know this is sudden but... will you be my mate, forever until my last breath?" Tears of joy filled Swiftshadow's eyes. *Redcreek, do you want me to do this?* she thought. A shimmering form of Redcreek appeared in front of Swiftshadow. Swiftshadow knew that Brambleheart couldn't see him. "Don't grieve for me forever, my love." Redcreek whispered. "Do what will make you happy." Redcreek vanished from sight. "Yes." Swiftshadow breathed. "I will be your mate." Brambleheart and Swiftshadow entwined tails, and stayed in their hidden place on the ThornClan-WillowClan border. The two cats slept side-by-side that day, and neither thought about their Clans, or if their Clans would ever realize they were gone. -Swiftshadow

Mistystream padded toward the ThornClan border, all three of her apprentices trailing behind her. "Okay, here we will split up! Rainpaw, go towards Twotrees, but don't cross the StormClan Border! Maplepaw, you head towards SeaClan and hunt near Skytree. Dawnpaw, you're assigned to sinlge patroling the BreezeClan Border! Go, everyone!" Her apprentices raced off. She herself padded toward the twoleg bridge. But while walking there, she saw something that made her stop in her tracks. Swiftshadow, the loyal WillowClan warrior, Skystar's littermate, and daughter of the legendary Willowstar, founder of WillowClan, was nuzzling a ThornClan warrior! She recognized Brambleheart, littermate of Rosebreeze, son of Pricklestar! "Swiftshadow!' She cried, racing up to them. "Why are you meeting a ThornClan warrior?!" Swiftshadow tensed, whirling around. "Don't you dare tell Skystar! Or anyone!" Mistystream flinched. She was Swiftshadow's best friend. She would never snitch! "I won't! But why?! Why are you meeting Brambleheart?!" -Mistystream

“This is Spiderkit,” Borage mewed as the brown tom with faint tabby stripes mewled. She turned to the third kit, “Breezekit,” She mewed at the black tom. “And..... Wait where did she go!” Borage hissed.... “over here! Stormstreak mewed as she bent over to grab the last she-kit. She gasped. “What! Stormstreak what’s wrong with my kit!!” She hissed. Stormstreak places the white kit in front of her mother. Borage cocked her head. “Oh, Crookedkit......” she looked sharply at Skystar who was at Stormstreaks side. “The warrior name shall never be Crookedjaw!” Then she turned back to her kits, Spiderkit was a little bigger than the others, that was the brown tom. Breezekit was the next born and was a medium sized scrap of black spotted fur. Swallowkit was the third to be born, she was a beautiful silver spotted she-kit like her mother. Dapplekit was a tortoiseshell tom who was named ‘dapple’ be cause of hew he looks a mix of Borage and Frostfang. And Crookedkit was named for her jaw, but also for how Borage felt for Frostfang.... Spruce was watching the kits squirm with astonishment and looked towards her belly and then back to the kits. The other cats had left, leaving warriors, apprentices, and any other cats to visit anytime. Borage felt warm and loved for the first time in ages and knew that WillowClan was the right choice after all. —Borage

"And that is how the Far Cats came to be. Tall Shadow, Clear Sky, Wind Runner, River Ripple, and last but not least, Thunder. In the end, they called themselves ThunderClan, ShadowClan, SkyClan, RiverClan, and WindClan," Sprucefall finished up her story of the Far Cats. Sandkit was facinated. *Other* clans. That was a definate adventure she could not ignore. Could they still be out there...?

*Later that night...*

"Let all kits old enough to prank their mothers gather around the clan blade of grass for a clan meeting!" Sandkit hollered. Sandkit had rallied all the rebelious kits from each clan and made KitClan. Then promoted herself to leader. Then elected a deputy, Pebblekit of CaveClan. As the kits gathered around the respected blade of grass, Sandkit thought of how awesome it was going to be being leader, even if it was only once every half moon that they gathered. "Kits of KitClan! The time has come for us to depart on our long-awaited jouney! We move out at once!" When Sandkit had told the kits of her plot, they immediately wanted to come. She was going to meet the Far Cats. -Sandkit

Rainpaw had the fattest blackbird ever in her jaws. As she padded back to where Mistystream was. “Well done.” The she-cat mewed as she stopped her conversation with Swiftshadow. “When did she get here?” Rainpaw asked. “Oh! I just arrived.” Swiftshadow responded. Rainpaw raised a brow. “Okay.... Lilypaw‘s over there.” She mewed as she passed the spotted she-cat. “Now, when we get back to camp Skystar will announce the warriors ceremony, be ready. Mistystream instructed as Rainpaw started to groom herself. She glared at Swiftshadow.... she had scented of ThornClan and made Rainpaw wrinkle her nose. —Rainpaw

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Skystar mewed. Rainpaw replied promptly. "I do." "Then by the power of our beloved Graystar's country accent, I give you your warrior name. From thisw time foward you will be called Rainsplash. Graystar's country accent honors your eagerness to learn and determination." Mistystream was very proud of Rainsplash. She yowled her name to the sky, along with the rest of the Clan. "Rainsplash! I'm so proud of you!" She said. Stormstreak was pacing up and down the Medicine Cat's Den, looking ready to burst with pride. ***Why? Stormstreak hadn't mentored her.*** Mistystream padded towards the Nursery to check on the kits. -Mistystream

Rainsplash puffed her chest out with pride as her clanmates cheered for her. The apprentices looked a little disappointed but still cheered.  *Don’t worry! You’ll get your names soon!* Rainsplash said through her eyes. Once all WillowClan dispersed, Rainsplash trotted to the Warriors den to select a nest.... “You can have the one closest to Mistystream if you want. *No way! I cant be by her forever and even she knows it!* Rainpaw padded to the empty nest near Nightfoot, Brackenleaf, And Sunflower's nest. It felt good to be near an old friend like Sunflower. But Swiftshadow had the nest on Sunflower's other side. *Swiftshadow.... what was she doing near the border anyways? Maybe hunting? I should keep a close eye on her...* suddenly Stormstreak entered the warriors den with a squirrel. —Rainsplash

Borage laughed at her kits as Mistystream higher end and lowered her tail for them to catch. “I remember Rainsplash when she was a little bigger than they are....” she sighed. Borage knew that the warrior would miss her apprentice. “Don’t worry! You’ll be even closer now that you share the same den! And you both are warriors now!” Borage mewed. Mistystream nodded. “Who’s the first born and last born?” She then changed the subject. “First was Spiderkit...... and last one was....” she hopped that Corrkedkits jaw wasn’t so crooked. “.....Crookedkit” the white she-kit was hanging from Mistystreams brown tail, giggling. Borage shifted her glance on Spruce. The she-cat was watching the kits with amusement. *Your kits will come soon! You can have this soon! —Borage*

Swiftshadow had just finished helping Spruce with her kitting. Her had kitted two healthy toms. "What are their names?" Swift asked the loner queen. "This white-and-brown tom will be Sproutkit." She mewed. "And Cedar named this dark brown tom Nutkit." Swiftshadow smiled. *This reminds me... I am supposed to meet Brambleheart today!* "I have to go." Swiftshadow said to Spruce as she dashed out of the den. She arrived at the ThornClan border and saw her mate there. "Thank StarClan you're here!" Brambleheart gasped. "I was terrified one of us would be discovered..." Swiftshadow sighed. "My best friend Mistystream wondered why I was reeking of ThornClan." she mewed. "I had to tell her... but she swore she wouldn't speak it to another soul. I can trust her. We have been friends since we were kits." Brambleheart nodded. "I told my sister Rosebreeze. She swore the same. I know if my father ever finds out about this..." Swiftshadow shuddered. Brambleheart's father, Pricklestar, was kin to Thornstar, the ruthless warrior who killed Willowstar's mate and started this war. "WHat really is ironic about us being here now," Swiftshadow mewed. "Is that Thornstar, your kin, killed my father." Brambleheart shuddered. "I have heard the legends." His voice shook. "Even though Thornstar is my kin, I have always feared and hated him." Swiftshadow nodded. "It's alright." She mewed. "Nobody blames you for my father's death. Especially not me, Brambleheart. If I blamed you, you wouldn't be my mate. I love you." Brambleheart purred softly. "I love you too Swiftshadow. Can we sleep here tonight again?" Swift nodded. "I would love too. And if my Clan starts looking for me, Mistystream will make an excuse." Brambleheart smiled. Same with Rosebreeze." The two cats curled up in their nests, and fell asleep, tails twined. --Swiftshadow

Swiftshadow woke up with a start the next morning. Brambleheart was still sleeping soundly beside her. She woke him up. "I can hear footsteps." Swiftshadow whispered. "Also, my stomach hurts." Brambleheart looked worried. "Are you sick?" he asked. Swiftshadow shook her head. "I'm fine. Just tired. Also, I should head back to my Clan now..." Brambleheart purred. "Goodbye." Swiftshadow sprinted back to the camp. A half moon later, her stomach was still hurting. She went to see Stormstreak about it. Stormstream blinked. "You don't know?" she mewed. "Know what?" Swiftshadow was confused. "That you're expecting kits!" Stormstreak exclaimed. "I thought you knew, as you have been expecting for a half moon now. Who's the lucky father?" Swiftshadow froze. *Kits!* "My own kits..." she murmured. "Oh.. um, the father?" Stormstreak blinked again. "It's ok if you are embarrassed." she mewed. "You don't have to tell me just yet." Swiftshadow sighed with relief. She walked into the nursery and settled next to Borage and Spruce. -Swiftshadow

“Oh that’s wonderful news! I’m so happy for you Swiftshadow! Who’s the father?” Borage mewed. “Uh... I can’t say.” The dappled she-cat looked worried. “Yes, I agree! That’s very good news, Swiftshadow.” Spruce mewed. Borage had worry develop in her stomach as she wondered about the father. “You know... the father of my kits is from TundraClan... I never speak of him.” She glanced down at her sleeping kits. Spruce looked down. “I’ve had many likings to so many toms... but I know that Cedar deserves my kits more than anyone.” She mewed. “Please tell us the father! We should know... unless you are too... worried?” Borage licked Dapplekit's ears. —Borage

As Mistystream entered the Nursery, she quickly counted the cats inside. *Oh, good. Two queens, five kits.* Mistystream froze. *Five kits! Where was Sandkit?!* Then, Mistystream realized not to worry. Most of the Clan thought that camp would be a better place without Sandkit, and Mistystream secretly agreed. If someone else wanted to track her down, they should feel free to. But Mistystream wasn't about to. -Mistystream

Swiftshadow held her breath. She would not lie to her fellow queens any longer. "Um, the father is a cat named Brambleheart." she mewed uncomfortably. "From ThornClan." Borage and Spruce looked shocked. "ThornClan?!" Spruce exclaimed. "Our worst enemy!?" Swiftshadow sighed. "It was supposed to happen." she mewed. The spirit of my deceased mate Redcreek led me to the place where I met him. I am sure StarClan meant for this to happen." Spruce blinked. "StarClan meant for you to break the warrior code?" Swiftshadow fidgeted worrily. "I... maybe not StarClan themselves. Maybe Redcreek just wanted me to move on... not to grieve for him forever. He wanted me to settle down with kits. Somthing me and Redcreek never had." Borage and Spruce nodded in understanding. "I'm very sorry about Redcreek." Borage meowed softly. I miss Frostfang very much... the Frostfang we was before I left." Spruce nodded. "I thought I would always grieve and long for Foxpaw and Birchtail, but I knew Cedar was the right cat for me all along." Swiftshadow curled up in her new nest, feeling safe in the nursury. Her kits would be born healthy, and Brambleheart would love them just as much as she did. Swiftshadow soon fell asleep, and dreamed of Redcreek and Brambleheart. -Swiftshadow

Rainsplash awoke in her nest. The warriors were still asleep and some of the apprentices were play fighting. Skystar was chatting with Moondust and the camp was so peaceful. Rainsplash padded out of the warriors den, trying to dodge stepping on a tail and kicking a paw. She yawned and stretched out side of the den. Then she saw Swiftshadow emerge from the Nursery and also stretch, but then turned around and entered the nursery. *What is she up to now!* Rainsplash thought. She trotted up to the nursery and peeked in to see only two sleeping queens and five sleeping kits. *Where’d she go! I knew she was up to something! But what? I should tell Misty— ugh! Come on Rainsplash! Your not an apprentice any more! Start acting more independent!* Rainsplash scolded herself. She saw a small hole in the nursery that was the size of a kit. But seemed to have been dug out, because of the fallen bracken on the ground. Rainsplash silently entered the nursery and exited through the kit-sized hole, then filled it with branches of fallen bracken. *No more hole, no more leaving.* Rainsplash then followed the scent of the nursery al the way to the ThornClan border. *What I the name of StarClan does she want to do here? Patrol? Queens can’t patrol mouse-brain!* Rainsplash then climbed up a strong, tall oak and sat in a branch with lots of leaves once she spotted the black-and-white dappled she-cat. She was talking to another cat. A brown tom, that scented of *ThornClan?!*  Rainsplash hissed softly as she leaned foreward to hear their conversation. —Rainsplash

Borage held a sleepy gaze as Sproutkit hopped onto Crookedkit. It had been later in the morning that she had noticed Swiftshadow’s disappearance. Her kits were only three moons old now and played nonstop. Sproutkit and Nutkit had soon grew reckless for their second moon as well. She yawned and poked Spruce with her tail. “Wake up....” she trailed off tiredly, her eyes could hardly open. “What...” Spruce yawned. “Swiftshadow left.” Borage said. “Shell be back....” Spruce yawned again. Crookedkit and Sproutkit pounced and played. Waking the other five kits from there slumbers. “Can we play!” Nutkit squeaked. “Sure! New rules though! I want to be the most pretty cat ever!” Crookedkit announced as Spiderkit stretched. “Than I’ll be leader!” Nutkit mewed. “I wanna be the Deputy!” Sproutkit yawned. “I want Crookedkit to be my mate! Since she is pretty and that could effect my kits!” Nutkit said in a proud leaderly tone. “No she’s mine! Im the next generation in leader! She’ll give us young blood!” Sproutkit squeaked back. The two toms fought and fought until Sproutkit gave in. “Okay okay! You win!” Ha said grumpily. Crookedkit looked unamused. “Now, Crookedkit! You shall be my mate!” Nutkit announced. “Uh, no” “what?” “Queens can decide there mates, and I say no. I want to be a single warrior forever!” She mewed as she pounced on Sproutkit, claws unsheathed. “Hey, watch it! You could hurt him!“ Borage warned. The kits kept fighting. *How I wish kits could stay this young forever! —BORAGE!!!*

Swiftshadow returned to the nursery from her talk with Brambleheart. Her mate had been so excited to hear of her kits. As Swiftshadow entered the camp, she was confronted by Rainsplash. "Traitor." The gray warrior muttered. Swiftshadow sighed. Most of the Clan had heard of her meeting Brambleheart by now. "I'm sorry." Swiftshadow murmured. "I should be able to be with the cat I love." Rainsplash growled. "Then go live with ThornClan." She hissed. Swiftshadow sighed and ducked into the nursery. At least Borage and Spruce understood. Suddenly, a cat dashed into the camp. Swiftshadow was shocked. It was Brambleheart. "Swiftshadow!" the ThornClan tom gasped. "I.. I want to live in WillowClan with you." Swiftshadow purred. Her mate loved her enough to give up his life in ThornClan. Swiftshadow looked at her sister, Skystar. "Please let him stay." she mewed. Skystar sighed. "Only because he is my sister's mate, he can stay. At least until Swiftshadow has her kits. Then we can deside if he stays for good." Swiftshadow sighed with relief and twined tails with Brambleheart. Her kits would have both of their parents near them. -Swiftshadow

*Was WillowClan excepting traitors now?* Rainsplash muttered to herself as she plopped onto her moss bed. “Ugh! They’re supposed to be enemies! Why are we even accepting a THORNCLAN warrior! ThornClan! You know, the clan who is on the other alliance? Remember!?” She sighed. Brambleheart then entered the Warriors den and Rainsplash scowled at him. “What!” She snapped. “Ugh, I—I was just looking for a nest I can use...” Rainsplash noticed that the only nest that was open had been the empty one between her and Mistystream. *Fox dung! I do not want to sleep near a THORNCLAN warrior! Ugh!* “This one is the only other one left.” she sighed as she looked up at the sky. She hopped that StarClan could see her prayer. *Is love really that strong? Will that happen to me! What does StarClan have planned for the fate of the Clans, and me. —Rainsplash*

Crookedkit was happy that the last word moons had gone by so slowly, she could be a kit FOREVER! But she felt a knot tie in her stomach when Borage sighed at her in a conversation with Spruce. She had felt left out, not because of her permanently crooked jaw, but because she was the only white pelted kit in the clan, some warriors talked of a warrior named Cloudygaze, they said she looked alike. But Crookedkit ignored them, she knew that there was something Borage was hiding about her WillowClan father, Borage had said that their father is a brave warrior, in his time before the Great War. She had always wanted to meet her father, never doubted that she would, but she always doubted that he’d recognize her once she found him. She was asleep in the nursery as Swiftshadow entered the nursery and plopped down, head tucked in paws. “Oh, Swiftshadow, it can’t be that bad! we never told a soul about your secret! We don’t even know who did!” Borage mewed. Swiftshadow was silent. “Yeah! We swear that we would never snitch!” Spruce yawned. Sproutkit And Nutkit we’re huddled up on Spruce's forepaws. “I know, none of you would spread the news...” “then who did!?” Spruce muttered. “Rainsplash.” —Crookedkit

Swiftshadow sat in the nursery feeling glum. Several cats in her Clan believed she was a traitor. *I just want to be with the cat I love!* Swift yowled in her head. *I'm sure anyone in this Clan would do the same thing if they were in my paws!* Swiftshadow suddenly felt a lurching pain in her stomach. "STORMSTREAK!" she gasped. "My kits! Their coming!" Swiftshadow lay on the floor of the nursery, breathing hard. Borage and Spruce led their kits into another den to give Swiftshadow space. Before they left, Sproutkit and Nutkit stared at Swiftshadow in awe, not believing that they had come into the world in this way. By dawn, Swiftshadow delivered three healthy kits. "Two toms and a she-cat!" Stormstreak congratulated. Brambleheart purred. "Let's name them now." He mewed. "This ginger tom should be Flarekit, and this brown tom who looks like me should be Hawkkit." Swiftshadow looked at the third kit. She looked hauntingly familiar. "This looks like..." All the horrible memories of Swiftshadow's past came hurling back to her. Getting exiled from ThornClan... her mother getting killed after she was born... a silver-blue she-cat visiting Swiftshadow's dreams... secretly being adopted by Willowstar... pretending to be of WillowClan blood... pretending to be Skystar's sister... The she-kit looked up. Her pelt was a silvery-gray. Her eyes were a blazing amber. "Amberkit..." Swift mewed. "I... I am not a WillowClan cat." Brambleheart looked shocked. "What?!" Swiftshadow looked down. "I am a half-Clan. My father was ThornClan. My mother was TundraClan. After TundraClan discovered my mother was meeting a ThornClan warrior, they killed her and my brothers, but spared me to raise in her place. I was soon exiled from both of my birth Clans, and I came here. I was secretly adopted by Willowstar, and the Clan has always believed I was her true daughter." Brambleheart was dumbfounded. "What was your mother's name?" he asked. "Iceshine." Swiftshadow meowed. "Amberkit looks like her." -Swiftshadow

Later, Skystar called a clan meeting to introduce the new kits, but Stormstreak had looked worried as she padded back into her den, Birdpaw and Juniperpaw had gone out to an herb expedition at the time. Rainsplash followed the medicine cat. She saw Stormstreak staring up a small sky hole that had a Sunbeam shine through it. “What’s wrong?” Rainsplash asked. Stormstreak sighed as her frown went loose. “Uh.... Oh! It’s nothing, but.....” she trailed off and the frown came back. “I could, um... help out around here, if- if you want....” Rainsplash asked. “Sure!” Stormstreak sang. “Now I think we should—!” Rainsplash suddenly felt as if she was numb all over her chest and her lungs swallowed up, she could barely breathe! “I— can’t!” She started until she was fed a fowl tasting leaf be shoved into her mouth, she swallowed and took a breath. “What—!” Rainsplash started being interrupted by hard coughing of another tom. “It’s Cedar! He can’t breathe! You have to help him! Brackenleaf yowled, laying the black tom in front of Stormstreak, “Great StarClan! She saw that now he had coughed up blood but then stopped for a breath. “Go retreats my apprentices! Now!” Stormstreak hissed as she turned towards a honeycomb and pawed some honey up. Rainsplash watched in horror. —Rainsplash

Swiftshadow hid her kits in her fur. Spruce was freaking out. Sproutkit and Nutkit were wailing. Borage looked traumatized. Swiftshadow watched as Stormstreak shoved herbs down Cedar's throat. *What if that was Brambleheart?* Swiftshadow asked herself. She tried to calm Spruce down. Hawkkit screeched in terror and hid in the corner of the nursery. Amberkit tried sneaking out to help Stormstreak. "What's happening?" Flarekit asked cluelessly. Swiftshadow handed her kits off to Brambleheart so he could entertain them in the time of distress. After a few minutes, Stormstreak came into the nursery. "Cedar will be fine." She said to Spruce. "He just needs to rest for a few days. Also, Rainsplash is having breathing problems as well." Swiftshadow gasped. "Rainsplash too? Is there a sickness in camp?" Stormstreak shook her head. "Not a sickness." she mewed. "I'm not sure what is wrong with Rainsplash." Borage looked concerned. "I hope she is alright, she is just a young warrior." Swiftshadow's gaze went to Hawkkit. He was on the other side of the nursery, talking to Crookedkit. "That was scary." Hawkkit mewed. "I needed an older kit to calm me down. I'm glad you were there." Crookedkit purred. Swiftshadow smiled at the two kits. She was glad Hawkkit had a friend-- maybe a bit more than a friend. Hawkkit had an extremely shy personality, and he usually stayed away from older cats. Swiftshadow sighed. Did her Clan hate her for mating with a ThornClan warrior? Time would only tell.—Swiftshadow

Rainsplash hissed. “I’m fine! I have no idea why that happened, and NO! I do not have GREENCOUGH! Can I just go hunt!” She lashed her tail as Stormstreak followed her. “No! I can’t let you go!” She saw a glint of sadness in Stormstreak's eyes. “Well....... I don’t need any help from *you!* I don’t need anyone’s help! I’m a warrior! Warriors can do what *they* want!“ Rainsplash ran out of camp, confused and angry. *Why did this happen to me! Why not any other warrior! I’m not sick, I’m not hurt! On StarClan! WHY ME!* She then stopped. She had seen the rippling waters of the lake before her paws. And saw her reflection. She saw a white she-cat with a tabby-like face, and she had gray all over her. She splashed it away. “Why am I so different... Stormstreak is all over me, ALL THE TIME. StarClan, please at least give me a sign...” she then closed her eyes and heard crows fly overhead. Then she looked up at the black bird swarm and saw a black cat shape, “What?” She hissed. “I have to be stronger! I have to show them that I can *be* a warrior!” She then gasped as claws shredded her back! “Hey scatter brain!” She whirled around to meet Hawkpaw. “You!” She hissed. “You!” He repeated. “What are you doing on WillowClan territory! Huh? Are you completely mouse-brained?” Rainsplash snarled. “Well, *Rainpaw—!”* “Rainsplash!” She interrupted. “Oh, your a warrior now? Well then I should tell you.... my new name is Hawktalon.” He squinted at her. “What? Ya, think I’m just gonna leave you in our territory? GET OUT!” She then leaped onto him and ripped at his russet scruff fur. but then a surge of pain hit her in her own scruff. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!” She leaped back and held a forepaws at her scruff. “Giving up so easily?” Hawktalon hissed. “No! Never! I’m a WARRIOR!” She then went back to battle, but in the end, Hawktalon left Rainsplash's scratched unconscious body in the shores of the lake and continued his hunt.—Rainsplash

KitClan had reached a mountain after a few days of un-interupted travel. According to her calculations, KitClan was halfway there and in good spirits. Their next obsacle was this mountain. Pebblekit's voice broke through her thoughts. "Thrushkit, Clamkit, and Reedkit! You will go on the next hunting patrol!" Good. They would have some food in their stomachs soon.

*After a lot of trudging through snow and frozen grass...*

"We made it! Look! There is the Far Cat's home; around a lake!" Sandkit praised. The view was spectacular. There was a forest, presumably for ThunderClan, and a moor for WindClan. There was a pine forest, probably for ShadowClan, next to an area with a river running through it. They had reached their destination. -Sandkit

Swiftshadow chatted with her mate about life in WillowClan. "...and Sandkit disappeared one day. Usually we don't notice she is gone, anyways. The warriors are just pleased to not have to do Sandkit duty. Sometimes I feel bad... she was the daughter of Cloudygaze anyways..." Stormstreak suddenly burst into the den. "Rainsplash was found unconscious and scratched in the lakeshore." the medicine cat mewed urgently. "Her wounds show she was attacked by a cat, probably of ThornClan." Swiftshadow looked at the sky. How many more cats were going to get hurt, or nearly die? *My kits might be next.* --Swiftshadow

Ransplash was low on energy and couldn’t rise to her paws. “Wait here, get rest! Rainsplash, What happened? Are you ok? Is she ok?” cats erupted from the entrance to the medicine cat's den. “Leave! All of you!” Birdpaw hissed. The cats left. “Don’t move, Rainsplash. We’ve gotcha.” Juniperpaw then asked. “What did you see?” Rainsplash raised her head. “I saw.... Hawktalon...” she looked at her paws. How could she have been bet up by another warrior! A ThornClan warrior for StarClans sake! Why had she been so foolish.... “Where’s Stormstreak?” She asked. “Our gathering more mint leaves. The usual” Birdpaw sounded unsurprised. “Oh, um...” Rainsplash sighed as she let her head fall back down. *Why can’t stop do other than mess it all up!* —Rainsplash

Mistystream padded into the medicine den and saw all three of Rainsplash's littermates and Mistystream's two apprentices, who had trained with Rainsplash, surrounding her. *Oh, my...* The flood of the five apprentices was overwhelming. Rainsplash's sisters, Twilightpaw, Icepaw, and Birdpaw, began to disperse but Maplepaw and Dawnpaw still crowded. "What happened?" Twilightpaw asked. -Mistystream

*A few moons later...*

"Well*, I'm* beginning to think we should search for Sandkit. The other Clans have missing kits too!" Mistystream mewed to Skystar, Stormstreak, and Moondust. "We should send a patrol!" Mewed Skystar, agreeing with Mistystream. -Mistystream

Sandkit led her Clan down to the forest where she knew ThunderClan lived ((I'll add more

Swiftshadow yawned. "Two more moons and these three will be apprenticed." she sighed. "Great StarClan, I cannot wait to start doing my warrior duties again." Brambleheart purred. "We can be WillowClan warriors together, and watch Hawkkit, Flarekit, and Amberkit grow up." Swiftshadow smiled. Brambleheart let out a sudden amused purr. "Look at Flarekit." he laughed. Flarekit was winking at a delighted Swallowkit. "He did the same to Crookedkit yesterday, but Hawkkit got mad at him." Purred Brambleheart. "It's just a bit of young love." Swiftshadow leaned against her mate affectionately. She looked forward to the future where she and Brambleheart could watch their kits grow as WillowClan warriors. When Swiftshadow looked into what she thought the future would be, she saw a light shining bright ahead, calling her closer. -Swiftshadow

Amberkit snuck out of the nursery. *I wonder what the warriors den looks like.* She thought. The blue-gray kit padded quietly into the large den. Suddenly, she heard pawsteps behind her. Amberkit whirled around to see Nutkit. "Oh!" The dark chestnut-brown kit jumped. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" Amberkit laughed. "You didn't." she mewed. The nervous brown kit was the spitting image of the older queen, Spruce. "Oh. That's good." The kit sighed with relief. Amberkit purred with amusement. She knew Nutkit liked her. He followed her around all day. Sometimes Amberkit felt bad, because she had never felt the same way. She didn't want to hurt Nutkit's feeling by saying that, though. Amberkit padded into the apprentice den and caught Flarekit winking at Firepaw. "Flarekit!" interjected Amberkit. "You know what mother said about this!" Flarekit rolled his eyes. "I wink at pretty she-cats. Is there a problem?" Amberkit sighed and walked back into the nursery to find Spruce talking to Nutkit. "I have seen you with Swiftshadow's she-kit!" Spruce reprimanded Nutkit. "I did this with Foxpaw. Young love never ends up good." Amberkit was confused. Who was Foxpaw? "I will just ask Swiftshadow to tell me." Amberkit said to herself. -Amberkit

"...and so, Spruce lived with Cedar for several seasons, and then she came back to WillowClan when she was expecting her kits. She gave birth to them here, and Spruce and Cedar have decided to stay." Swiftshadow finished telling Amberkit the story of Spruce, formerly Sprucefall. Amberkit looked awed. "Why were you so excited to know this story?" Swiftshadow asked her kit. "No reason." Amberkit mewed quietly. "If you say so." Swiftshadow meowed. She watched her kit dash excitedly out of the nursery. She lay down next to Brambleheart. "I'm so glad I left ThornClan to be with you and our kits." Brambleheart purred. "It was all worth it." Swiftshadow smiled. "Our kits are growing fast. Flarekit especially. If he's not following a she-cat, he's looking for one." Bramble hearts meowed in amusement. -Swiftshadow

Rainsplash hissed as Stormstreak placed a leaf paste on her scarred nose. “now that I'm back, please tell me what happened.” The dark she-cat said. “Well, I found that Hawkpaw, or Hawktalon guy and, well! I did what any noble sensible warrior would do! I fought him and he left me by the lake shores! It was weird though, I felt his pain...” she stopped. “What?” Stormstreak was shocked. “Well, I ripped at his neck, but I also felt it in my neck, he was VERY confused. But so was I! And he won!” Rainsplash sighed and lay her head down. She saw kits playing and Queens chuckling. “Oh, how I’d give to know who my family was.... and my mother, like a normal cat.” —Rainsplash

Crookedkit tripped and fell, as usual also face-planting. “You have to be more careful! Your jaw—!” Borage started. “I don’t care! I’m fine... MOM! I AM FINE!” Crookedkit hissed. “Oh just like your father....” Borage muttered. “Well, just a little worried. That’s all.” She sighed. “I can’t tell them, they’ll just wanna be with him...” Borage sighed again. “Well, they deserve to know someday.” Spruce said. “Yeah... I know. But when?” —Borage

Amberkit yawned. "When will I be an apprentice?" she asked her father indignantly. Brambleheart laughed. "Only one-and-a-half moons left." he purred. Amberkit sighed. "I can't wait THAT long! I would be better off going to find Sandkit..." Sandkit had ran away from WillowClan before Amberkit was born, but Amberkit's dream had always been to find her. Her and Sandkit seemed to have several things in common. *Maybe my life would be better if I ran off to find her...* -Amberkit

Swiftshadow sighed. Bedtime for her and her kits. She yawned and swept them into her nest. As she was getting ready to fall asleep, she realized something-- or SOMEONE! was missing. Swiftshadow whirled around in horror, but she couldn't scent them anywhere. "WHERE'S AMBERKIT?" -Swiftshadow

”What do you mean she’s GONE!” Borage yowled as the Queens fussed and hissed in horror. “She left! She‘s gone!” Borage sobbed. Crookedkit cocked her head and looked questioningly at Borage. “Please, Wait outside.” Borage mewed to her. all of the kits had exited toe Nursery and yawned. Swallowkit, Breezekit, Dapplekit, And Spiderkit had made a pile Over themselves and fell asleep. Sproutkit and Nutkit had been play fighting, and Hawk-kit And Flarekit had been sitting and talking. Crookedkit has then padded over to Sproutkit and Nutkit as Hawk-kit and Flarekit had joined the battle. “Hey! I wanna fight!” She growled ferociously, but jumped as Moondust had ran past her into the Nursery. Hawk-kit frowned. “Don’t worry! Amberkit will be back! She might have not have goon too far from here!” Crooked kit tried to reassure. Hawk-kit smiled in a weird way. Nutkit then pounced on Crookedkit, she shrieked and then pushed him into the air with her strong hind legs and then rushed away. “Hah!” She cheered. Sproutkit had then squished Nutkit between his paws. “Gotcha again! And in front of Crookedkit!” Crookedkit didn’t know what he meant, but Nutkit them hissed. A new voice sounded strict. “KITS! No fighting, this is a serious problem and we don’t want anyone getting hurt at this hour, so please sleep wile you can! Your apprentice Ceremony is also in the next moon! So please sleep!” It was the WillowClan Medicine Cat Stormstreak. The kits obeyed and then made a pile with Crookedkits other siblings and fell fast asleep. Together as it will always be.... Forever. —Crookedkit

Cola trudged through the woods, it had rained recently and now it was muddy almost everywhere. Her heavily swollen belly seemed heavier then ever, her kits would be due in the next moon. She had been walking for days. Finally she collapsed underneath a willow tree. Her vision was swimming in her eyes, and finally she gave in. - Cola

Mistystream was worried. A sickness was spreadin through camp. Cedar already had it and Nightfoot was showing symtoms, leading Moondust to worry a lot. Brackenleaf was pacing outside the medicine den, worried about Nightfoot, his son. Suddenly, Stormstreak sat up from her nest where she had been sleeping. Her face was terrified. "We have to follow Sandkit!" -Mistystream

"Huh?" Mistystream mewed. "Why?" Stormstreak explained quickly. "The place they're going... the cure is found there! The cure to the sickness! StarClan gave me a vision... the plague will sweep through the Clans and destroy them! We must follow KitClan!" Mistystream looked amused. "KitClan? Huh. And whats 'They're'? Sandkit is a single cat." She mewed. Stormstreak stood up. "She formed a Clan... from all rebellious kits in all eight Clans! Even ScarClan! They've gone to the Far Cats!" -Stromstreak

Amberkit followed the stale kit-scent through the woods. She had been traveling for nearly a moon now. She had been moving quickly, hoping none of her Clanmates were following her. *Sandkit, I'm coming.* she thought. Suddenly, she saw a vast lump of fur in front of her, and recognized the pelts of sleeping kits. "Hello!" Amberkit yelped, excited. A pale ginger she-kit woke up. "Greetings, stranger." she said. "I am Sandkit, leader of KitClan. This is my deputy, Pebblekit." Sandkit nodded to a gray-brown tom-kit beside her. "Sandkit!" gasped Amberkit, astonished. "I am Amberkit. You ran from WillowClan before I was born, but I have always wanted to join KitClan." Sandkit looked proud. "You must be one of Swiftshadow's kits." Sandkit mewed. "Nice to meet you. You will be gladly accepted into KitClan. This is the territory of the Far Cats. None of their four Clans wanted to take in twenty kits, so we established a small piece of territory outside RiverClan." Amberkit was more excited than ever. Suddenly, she heard footsteps. A white tom emerged from the undergrowth. He looked only a bit older than Sandkit, and his pelt was speckled with black spots shaped like tiny seeds. "Who is he?" Amberkit whispered to Pebblekit. "Oh, that is Darkpaw." Pebblekit answered. "From RiverClan." -Amberkit

Swiftshadow sat mopingg in the nursery. Amberkit had run away. Would she ever return? Was she even alive? Did she not feel loved? Was that why she ran away? "Mother." Came a voice from behind Swiftshadow. She whirled around to see Hawkkit. "Uh, mommy?" Swiftshadow sighed. "What is it, hawk-hawk?" Hawkkit looked uncomfortable. "Uh, I need to tell you somthing, but don't tell anyone else." Swiftshadow smiled. "What is it? I won't tell." Hawkkit twitched his tail tip rapidly. "I think Crookedkit is pretty." he whispered. Swiftshadow purred in amusement. Hawkkit inched away. "Young love." Swift muttered, and then sighed. *Where are you, Amberkit? -Swiftshadow*

Rainsplash had crept out of camp that night, her fur cold, her paws numb as ice, and her heart, determined to find the ‘KitClan’ cats near the Far Cats place. She had followed Amberkits trail all the way upstream from the lake, past the Skytree. She had to make herself useful since she was in a VERY bad mood all of these moons since she was attacked. She was determined to prove herself to her clan that she wasn’t weak, even with her weird ability. She knew she’d come home a hero. —Rainsplash

Spiderkit glared at Hawk-kit. He hated the way he acted around Crookedkit. He wished Hawk-kit would stop mooning over his sister. He knows that love isn’t the best thing for Crookedkit, yet. Especially from that no good Hawk-kit! —Spiderkit

Crookedkit pounced on Nutkit and let out a battle cry. “Hah! Pinned ya again!” She had been pouncing on Nutkit wile her siblings were still in the pile that they slept in, Hawk-kit was smiling as he was chatting with Flarekit. “Kits, please come back into the nursery.” Borage sang. The kits scrabbled back into the den hoping to see Amberkit again. —Crookedkit.

Amberkit said nothing. She just gazed at the RiverClan apprentice. This was an actually cat from the Distant Clans, a young apprentice who lived a similar life that she did. Amberkit walked up to Darkpaw. "I'm Amberkit- well, technically, I am apprentice age, but I kind of left my Clan. not permanently, just for a moon or two." Darkpaw smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you Amberkit. I come here to visit KitClan often, even though they probably won't be here forever. Most of the kits here are around my age, if not older." Amberkit nodded. Of course they wouldn't stay forever! Rainsplash and the other WillowClan warriors had probably followed Amberkit's trail anyways, and would probably find KitClan within the next half-moon. "I would like to get to know you better." Darkpaw meowed to Amberkit. Can I see you at the stream at dusk? I get to know each KitClan cat better by having one-on-one chats with them." Amberkit nodded with excitement. She was going to get to know an actually member of a Distant Clan. -Amberkit

Swiftshadow paced the camp entrance restlessly. Rainsplash had disappeared as well, and Stormstreak wanted to take a patrol to find the Far Cats, saying they had a cure for an illness spreading throughout camp. Rumors had scattered that Sandkit had lead a group of other kits to the Far Cats. Swiftshadow doubted they had made it. They were kits! they couldn't hunt, or fight. Was that where Amberkit was headed? Swiftshadow moaned in distress. Was her she-kit already dead? The kit that resembled Iceshine most? Swiftshadow sighed. She had been sighing a lot these days. It was only then when she heard Skystar call from the Highrock. Was it time for Hawkkit and Flarekit's apprentice ceremonies already? -Swiftshadow

”From this day forward, you shall now be called Hawkpaw, your mentor shall be Mistystream. She has taught Rainsplash well, wherever she may be.... and so will teach you well.” Crookedpaw saw Hawkpaw Touch noses with Mistystream. It was about time that the kits were apprenticed anyway. **Crookedpaws** mentor had been **Moondust**, **Flarepaw’s** mentor was **Nightfoot**, **Hawkpaw** mentor was **Mistystream**, **Spiderpaw’s** mentor was **Snowstorm**, **Swallowpaw** mentor was **Echolight**, **Dapplepaw’s** mentor was **Brackenleaf**, **Breezepaw’s** mentor was **Riverstone**. Crookedpaw also knew that it was the other apprentices turn to have their warrior names. So, she waited in silence as Skystar spoke once more. Suddenly, she saw Hawkpaw was next to her, he had lay his tail over hers. —Crookedpaw

Rainsplash huffed And she pulled herself out of her sleeping spot. “Have to find that mangy kit! Why am I even doing this! I HATE Swiftshadow! And her brats... Well, it would impress WillowClan.” She sighed and hissed. “Really? Kits missing in WillowClan?” A familiar voice echoed. “Hawktalon! What do you want! You left me on the shore to drown you stupid piece of Foxdung!” Rainsplash lashed her tail. “Now, hold on—!” Rainsplash has already pounced onto him and was thrown off. She had a knick on his ear. Suddenly her ear hurt as much. “Ack!” She paused a paw to it. “What? Was what” Hawktalon asked. “I DONT KNOW OKAY! It’s something that happens when I hurt another cat, or one of WillowClan gets hurt! I LITERALLY FEEL THEIR PAIN LIKE IT WAS MINE!!!” Hawktalon looked puzzled. “Well, I was leaving my clan in secret to find our missing ThornClan kits. Some cat mentioned the Far Cats, And I instantly snook out.” Rainsplash widened her eyes. “So did I.... but I hate that one kit.... and Sandkit. That one STUPID kit had been a halfbreed of ThornClan!” Hawktalon was bug-eyed. “You’ve seen Brambleheart! How is he! He had kits? Who’s the mother? Why a WillowClan cat?!” Rainsplash was surprised in the big grumpy toms change in his usual anger. “What was Brambleheart to you!” She snickered. “He... he was was. My brother...” —Rainsplash

Amberkit sat next to Darkpaw by the river. She had explained her life in WillowClan to him, and he told her about his life in RiverClan. "I hope my littermates are alright... They are probably apprentices by now. I should be one… I almost want to go back." Darkpaw looked sympathetic. "Homesickness. We all have it eventually." Amberkit felt a soft touch on her shoulder, and saw Darkpaw had laid his tail tip there. "You know, Sandkit told me you are leaving in the quarter moon. It will be sort of sad, I have made lots of friends here. There is not much else to do as a RiverClan apprentice." He mewed. "Maybe you could come to WillowClan with us." Amberkit said the words without thinking. Darkpaw shook his head. "I wish I could, but I fear I could never leave my family. I am loyal to my Clan." Amberkit put a paw on the black-speckled tom's shoulder. "You know, in the old myths, the villain usually has the name Dark. But you are the opposite of a villain." Darkpaw purred. "I have been waiting for someone to say that." As Amberkit fell asleep that night, she felt that her heart was having a tug-of-war. *Should I go back to WillowClan, or should I stay here, with Darkpaw?* -Amberkit

Swiftshadow felt happier inside. A patrol confirmed that KitClan indeed had made it to the Far Cats, and that Amberkit was most likely with them. *Soon I will have my kit back.* Swiftshadow leaned against Brambleheart. "Time to get used to going on patrol again." her mate mewed. "Our kits are apprentices." Suddenly, a loud purring came from inside the den. Hawkpaw and Crookedpaw emerged, followed by a jealous Flarepaw. "Why are there no more good she-cats around here?" the ginger tom muttered, with a sad-looking Swallowpaw overhearing him. Swiftshadow sighed. Hawkpaw knew who he wanted to be with. Swallowpaw did as well. *Who will AMberkit choose?* -Swiftshadow

Crookedpaw picked a mouse out of the prey pile. She had never knew that Hawkpaw followed her and she gasped. “Oh! Hawkpaw, sorry! I didn’t see you here!” She smiled in a goofy way. “Sorry to startle you.” Hawkpaw raised a brow. “Oh! Hey Crookedpaw!“ Nutpaw yowled. it had been a moon since those two Sproutkit and Nutkit had been apprenticed. “Hey Nutpaw! Sproutpaw! What’s up!” Crookedpaw missed Hawkpaw’s wrinkling snout. “Wanna play as apprentices now? Like we were kits again?” Crookedpaw rolled her eyes. “Catch up with ya later Hawkpaw! Gotta go pin these knuckleheads under my big paws!” Crookedpaw said as she also missed Hawkpaws sigh of disappointment. —Crookedpaw

Swallowpaw took a deep breath. “Breathe Swallowpaw. You got this! Sharing prey with a friend will be fine! I mean, it’s not like I was the most shy kit ever....” Swallowpaw sighed. Flarepaw was sitting outside of the entrance to camp. “Grab the swallow Swallowpaw. Then share it and—!” Swallowpaw sighed as she padded over to get the swallow. “Hey Flarepaw! Wanna split this swallow with me?!” She said without worry. “Sure.” Flarepaw said, looking a little surprised. —Swallowpaw

Borage sighed. “I have to go back and tell him! I can’t stand this tension... Frostfang deserves to know!” Borage spat. “I know, but maybe he shouldn’t know!” Spruce reassured her. Borage was happy that her and the brown she-cat had made friends. “I have to try and ask Skystar to let me go to the next gathering!” —Borage

it had been about a moon since Rainsplash had settled out. She was mad about having to work with Hawktalon though. They had talked to each other about their pasts though. It hurt like all StarClan to tell him that her own mother and family had abandoned her near the thunderpath. The THUNDERPATH for StarClans sake! And he had told her that his father was the earlier leader, Pricklestar. The tom had killed his mother Chestnutwhisker, and literally swiped him as Hawk-kit and Bramble-Kit off of the Meeting Rock. “Well, we can agree that both of our pasts have been rough....” Rainsplash heard a small slither and froze. “What?” Hawktalon sighed. “Well I thought I heard.p—!” Suddenly something very thin launch out of the tall undergrowth and then suddenly Rainsplash felt her hind leg burst into pain. “AAAACCCKK!!!” She hissed. It was a snake, Hawktalon had then fought it off and killed it. “What,—.” She felt sick. “I, well ThornClan cats are taught how to kill snakes....” Rainsplash has then fallen asleep. Unable to see the bug tabby tom as he yowled her name. —Rainsplash

"I'm leaving, Darkpaw." Amberkit mewed with a hint of regret in her tone. "I need to return to WillowClan. I miss my mother, my father, and my brothers." Darkpaw nodded understandingly. "Goodbye, Amberkit." he purred softly. "May StarClan light your path." Amberkit sighed and padded off into the wilderness. After another half-moon had past, she reached her homeland. "Amberkit! Great StarClan you're alive!" it was Amberkit's mother, Swiftshadow. "Mother!" Amberkit gasped. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to adventure..." Amberkit's words were lost in a wave of gray and black fur as Swiftshadow embraced her lost kit. "We must take you back to camp NOW to have you apprenticed, along with your brothers." Amberkit was lead into camp. Flarepaw walked up to her. "Well, greetings... AMBERPAW." he mewed smoothly. "How was your journey? Want to go on a- walk? Perhaps?" Swallowpaw stood behind the ginger tom, looking crestfallen. "Um, I'm good." Amberkit mewed. After a bit, the entire Clan was cheering 'Amberpaw! Amberpaw!' As Amberpaw fell asleep that night, she was restless. Somthing was missing. Then it dawned on her. "Darkpaw... where are you?" -Amberpaw

Crookedpaw greeted Amberpaw. “Nice to see ya again!” She mewed. “Oh! Hey Crookedpaw!” Amberpaw then padded into the Apprentices den. “Crookedpaw....” a voice said behind her. “Hawkpaw? What’s wrong? You sound.... distressed?” She turned to face the strong looking young tom. “Well, can we talk.... alone.” “Sure!” Crookedpaw chirped. The two cats padded into the nearby bramble bush. “What’s wrong?” Hawkpaw looked worried. “well, you know Sproutpaw and Nutpaw?” He started. “Yeah...” Crookedpaw said. “And do you know that Rainsplash has been... gone?” “What’s wrong with Sproutpaw and Nutpaw?!” Crookedpaw went back. “Oh, they seem to have a little cough, is all.... and Rainsplash is gone, more and more cats are drifting away from WillowClan....” Crookedpaw cocked her head, her mind swirled with clouds of Confusion. “What? Nutpaw And Sproutpaw are sick!—!” Hawkpaw interrupted her. “Well. You also know how I’ve always been talking to you about Mother and Amberpaw, and the coughs, and my worries?” “Yeah....” suddenly the clouds had disappeared to a clear sky In Crookedpaws mind. “Hawkpaw....” Hawkpaw sighed and looked her in the eyes. “I don’t want us to be apart. Crookedpaw, you seem like the only cat who understands me, and my worries.—!” Spiderpaw then pounced out of know where and landed on Hawkpaw. “Ack!” —Crookedpaw

Amberpaw slept restlessly that night. It was the first night in moons that she had slept without Darkpaw beside her. It felt strange, and cold. "I should go on a walk alone... to clear my head." Amberpaw walked out of camp. Suddenly, she smelled a strange scent. She had never smelled it before. Amberpaw had no idea what it was. She followed the scent to the ThornClan border. It was too late when she realized it was a fox. Suddenly, a shooting pain went through Amberpaw's face, and everything went black.

Crookedpaw gasped and breathed fast. Her dreams had struck her. It was a Fox this time, it raided the camp and killed Borage in her dreams. She sighed. “Just a dream.” But then Crookedpaw glanced over at Amberpaws nest. It was empty. “You are NOT leaving again!” Crookedpaw hissed as she heaved herself up and started padding out of the apprentices den and out of camp. She yawned as she followed Amberpaws scent, fresh mixed with something stale. She couldn’t even open her eyes and tripped over a big tree root and face planted. She hissed And rubbed her crooked jaw. “Careful.” A soft voice mewed behind her and made a Crookedpaw spin around. “Hawkpaw! Why are you following me?” Crookedpaw asked. “I can’t let you leave like Amberpaw did when I was a kit! Let me come with you...” he pleaded. “I’m just following Amberpaws scent.... you can come if you want.” the two then padded along Amberpaws scent until they found a clearing. “What’s the other smell! It smells like rotting prey! bleh!” Hawkpaw complained. Somehow something was wrong, it was very silent. “Wait...” there was something near a bolder that she could see, it was a blue-gray color but looked like shining fur in the moonlight. “Amberpaw!” Hawkpaw yowled. Then the tabby tom ran up to her body. “OH MY STARCLAN!” he hissed as he jumped back. A Fox has then leaped out from the shadows, it had thrown Amberpaw into a nearby oak and Crookedpaw gasped, as Hawkpaw fought the big beast, Crookedpaw stared at Amberpaws torn ear and her bloody arm, then she pounced along with Hawkpaw to fight off the fox.—Crookedpaw

Rainsplash sighed as she put all her weight on Hawktalon. She coughed sometimes, but had kept moving foreward. Sooner the two had arrived at a barn and rested for a wile. “I have fetched more water Rainsplash...” Hawktalon mewed, arriving with some soaked moss. “Thanks” Rainsplash replied. “Those poor kits...” she then whispered. “All of the clans lost their kits, all of those younglings.” She continued. “I have to tell you, I have scented cat around here, maybe we have reached the Far Cats, and they can cure your snake bite. Before.... before...” He trailed off. “I’ll be fine!” She hissed. Hawktalon then yawned. “I want to go and find them, are you strong enough to—!” “Of course I am mouse-brain!” Rainsplash interupted with another scolding hiss. Then Rainsplahs limped alongside Hawktalon until they met a group of fast running cats on a weird scenting moor around the lake they’ve arrived at. What busness do you have in WindClans territory loners!” A dark gray tom hissed as the rest of the patrol followed. “Crowfeather, calm down, one of these loners seems to be injured!” A light brown tabby she-cat yowled, her blue eyes shimmered like the lake in the moons light. “State your bees ness then!” The Dark tom, Crowfeather, then mewed. “I am Hawktalon of ThornClan, and thi—!” “I can introduce myself!” Rainsplash retorted. “I am Rainsplash of WillowClan!” Hawktalon sighed. “We have come for help, Rainsplash has bee bitten by a snake and is wounded on her hind leg.” The light tabby she-cat then said. “I’m Heathertail, that’s Crowfeather, the deputy. This is our patrol...” she said waving her tail for the other cats to appear. “Maybe Kestrelflight can help them, we should take them back.” Heathertail mewed. “Harestar wouldn’t approve though....” he sighed and glared at Hawktalon, Grumbled, And then sighed. “Fine. Follow us.” And the cats all retreated further into the mysterious moors of WindClan. —Rainsplash

A few weeks later...

Stormstreak trudged onward, exausted and weak. She came out over a hill... *and then she saw it... the far cats' lake!* she had finally reached it. she saw an island in the distance and decided it would be a good place to rest. She hurried toward it but saw what looked like a patrol. *Okay, this is probably... RiverClan?* She didn't know, as her knowledge of the Far Cats was limited. Suddenly, the patrol spotted her. "A loner!" a dappled golden cat mewed. *Mothwing! I remember her from my dream!* "I'm not a loner! I'm Stormstreak of WillowClan!" She mewed. Willowshine had stepped up next to Mothwing. "WillowClan? Ooh! I'm Willowshine!" "Ugh, Willowshine, you believe anything. Of course their isn't another Clan. There are only five!" Mothwing mewed. *Only five?* "There are nine others!" Stormstreak mewed. "*Nine?* SURE. Why are we even talking to you?!" "Because I need your help! As a medicine cat, I can't jsut sit by and watch as my clan suffers! One of our kits has come here! One of our warroirs has come here with her ThornClan Mate! That's like one of ThunderClan's warriors having a mate from ShadowClan then going to SkyClan's gorge!" Mothwing tensed. "How do you know the Clans' names and rivalries?" Stormstreak explained quickly, "From a dream! StarClan told me to come here." Now Mothwing was calming down. But then, Stormstreak saw Rainsplash in the distance with *Hawktalon* beside her. -Stormstreak

Amberpaw woke up. She had no idea where she was, or how long it had been since the fox attacked her. *AM i dead? Is this StarClan?* She soon recognized the scent of Stormstreak. *Is Stormstreak dead to? Or am I alive?* Amberpaw opened her eyes. Her face and forelegs were screaming with pain. her tail felt like it had been bitten off. Maybe it had been. Amberpaw then realized she couldn't see out of her left eye. *Am I going blind? Is this a dream?* She managed to stutter the words, 'what happened?' "You were attacked by a fox." Stormstreak mewed. *Well I knew that.* Amberpaw thought bitterly. "Hawkpaw and Crookedpaw found you, and they got help and you were brought back to camp." the medicine cat continued. "The fox got nearly half your tail, you have several nasty wounds of your legs and stomach, and you lost your left eye." Amberpaw wanted to cry. Was this her fate? To die as the ugliest cat alive, scarred and half-blind? "I applied Marigold and Horsetail to all of your wounds, so they shouldn't get infected... but..." *But I still might die.* Amberpaw finished Stormstreak's sentence in her mind. She fell asleep once again. Her dreams were so vivid, she thought they were real. Little did she know, they soon would be. -Amberpaw

Rainsplashe sighed. WindClan was an okay clan but has a TERRIBLE camp spot. Harestar had been gracious to the stranger cats, Hawktalon had appeared to be a lot more sensible on this journey. On the other paw, Rainsplash had grown tired and confused. “—and so that was how me and Firepaw has saved my mentor Mistystream from a Badger.” Rainsplash finished. She had been asked by Applepaw, an apprentice. She then limped over out of camp and gazed far beyond. “We have to find those kits...” until she had seen a familiar gray cat. “Stormstreak! then Rainsplash ran back down to Hawktalon. “We need to find those kits! Let’s check around RiverClan!” She then tugged Hawktalon towards the entrance, not allowing him to have a breath to speak. “Wait!” A She-Cat Names Smokehaze hissed. “Harestar wants to talk with you.” Crowfeather added. “Ugh!” Rainsplash Sighed and padded into the den of Harestar.—Rainsplash

Amberpaw was restless. She had slipped mostly in and out of consciousness. It was that morning when she thought she awoke to see a black coat with white speckles sitting beside her. *I'm dreaming again... Darkpaw isn't here. Why do I think about him so much anyways?* Amberpaw soon awoke and saw her brother Hawkpaw beside her. Crookedpaw was there as well. Amberpaw..." Her brother croaked. "I... don't die." Amberpaw nodded feebly. "I'll try." was all she could murmur. Her mother Swiftshadow soon walked in. "You can't join StarClan yet... Stormstreak had a vision." mewed Swiftshadow. "Besides... I've already lost Redcreek..." Amberpaw fell unconscious once again. The last thing she heard was some confused yowling, and a voice that sounded hauntingly familiar... -Amberpaw

Rainsplash sighed. “Since your rested, you both shall be off. It’s better if the other clans didn’t know about this.” Harestar announced. “Wait!” Hawktalon blurted. Crowfeather hissed. “We need a Medicine! There has been a very bad cough spreading through the clans!” Rainsplash looked to her paws and then saw blood all over them. *WHAT IN THE NAME OF STARCLAN! Oh my, Blood! Why are my paws covered in BLOOD!* And the faintest voice had whispered: *“the hawk will fall in the rain”* Rainsplash gasped. “What?” Hawktalon turned his head towards her. “N—Nothing.” The blood had vanished in a blink of an eye. “Sick cats! Terrible cough! Dying!” An all armed voice echoed. Kestrelfeather had barged into the leaders Den, her fur bristled and eyes wide. “I have herbs that cure those coughs.... give me an example and I might seek to know what it is...” Rainsplash started at Hawktalon talking through her eyes. *Look, I am not good for this! My ankles hurt and my bite is sore. An I had just seen something that shook me like all StarClan! I‘m not in the mood to be funny.* Suddenly a cat burst into the den full of clouded cats, “Leaftail! What-!” The red tabby tom had coughed and coughed in a fit, *Exectly how the WillowClan warriors were! I have to—* Rainsplash suddenly felt her throat run dry and itch, and her chest hurt. *Oh no! Not again!* And she had coughed as well. Hawktalon looked shocked and afraid as Rainsplash hurried away from Leaftail. Her heart slow beating as her body had calmed down. She sighed. Hawktalon had rushed out to meet her. “What happened! Are you okay! Please tell me—!” “I’m FINE!“ Rainsplash snarled as she started to groom her fur. “I already told you about it!” Hawktalon then stared and jumped, “oh.” Rainsplash flattened her ears. *Oh StarClan. —Rainsplash*

Swiftshadow smelled an unfamiliar scent. A black tom with white speckles had entered camp. "Who are you?" Swiftshadow challenged. "My name is Darkpaw." said the tom. "I am from the Distant Clans. I was born in RiverClan. I was er... um, good friends with Amberkit when she ran from this place. I want to see her.." Swiftshadow's heart ached with grief. "She is Amberpaw now." she mewed softly. "She was in an accident with a fox." Darkpaw looked taken aback with horror- and was that grief? How well did this cat know Amberpaw? "Is she dead?" Darkpaw asked. "No." Swiftshadow answered. "But she- oh just come see her." Darkpaw looked worried. Swiftshadow felt pity for the young tom. "Why did you travel all this way to see her?" Swiftshadow asked. Darkpaw looked down. "Life just wasn't the same without her." he murmured. "I felt alone, and sad." Swiftshadow almost murrrrrowed with laughter. Was Darkpaw mooning over her daughter? Darkpaw looked into her eyes. "You look like her. Amberpaw, I mean. You have her eyes. Are you some sort of relation, lie an older sister or somthing?" Swiftshadow began to lead him to the medicine den, where Amberpaw rested. "No, Darkpaw. I am her mother." -Swiftshadow

Amberpaw sat restlessly in the medicine den. Her legs were feeling better, but she still had awful scars on her face and back. Before Stormstreak had left for the Distant Clans, she had confirmed that Amberpaw was indeed going to survive, yet she would be half-blind for the rest of her life. Amberpaw suddenly scented a familiar scent, and her heart leaped with joy. "Darkpaw?" she whispered. Her heart nearly burst with joy when Darkpaw actually walked in the den. Amberpaw's eyes filled with tears. "You came." Darkpaw buried his nose in her fur. "I had a dream. Everything was dark, but I could hear you yowling for help." Amberpaw was surprised. "I had the same dream, the night after I was attacked. "I heard you calling my name." Darkpaw purred. "Could we have actually been connected by dreams?" Amberpaw sighed, comforted at last. "Maybe it was StarClan's will." she murmured. Amberpaw fell asleep next to Darkpaw, hoping they would never be apart again. -Amberpaw

Rainsplash And Hawktalon made the long joirney back towards their clans after Kestrelfeather had provided all the right herbs. It had only been 2 nights from what Rainsplash could see. “Look! It’s the lake!” Hawktalon yowled. Rainsplash snapped out of being tired. “Wow, were that close? Never knew!” Rainsplash’s eyes sparkled in the moonlight as they shined with happiness. The two had padded back to the place they started. “So. This is goodbye?” Hawktalon unexpectedly mewed. This had med Rainsplash’s heart ache. But why? She should never feel for a ThornClan tom. *Or this was his pain...* she reminded herself. “Yeah.” Rainsplash whispered. “Well, we will meet again. At gatherings! We have to go since we’d be heroes of the clans! Right?” Hawktalon cocked his head. “Yeah.” Ransplash purred. *Why did that com as a purr? Unexpected.... but I guess satisfying?*  Rainsplash has turned towards WillowClans camp and led her tail gently touch Hawktalons as she padded back to camp. It was a little harder since she had to limb, her snakebite was still sore, and she was generally sore from the journey. Once she reached the entrance she stopped, took long breathed and barged into the center clearing and stared up at Skystar. “Skystar! I have returned with herbs from the Far Clans.” -Rainsplash

Crookedpaw wrinkled her snout, this *Darkpaw* had fish scent everywhere and that was the worst. She liked a small minnow to eat, but not lots of fish! And his pelt was smooth and dark, matching his name, it shined in the moonlight as he sat in the Medicine cats den entrance staring up at the moon. *Praying to StarClan? Most likely.* She padded over towards the medicine cats den to speak with him, why he was *really* here, not because of her. But suddenly a large white she-cat had burst into the clearing of camp and a few cats had gasped. How could she still be alive? Rainsplash was supposed to be dead according to the whole clan! Wasn’t that why Stormstreak had left? Or did Rainsplash do what she wanted for her? Wait, she might have looked for Amberpaw too... she never really liked Amberpaw because of her mother and father anyway... “Skystar!” She mewed. “I have returned with herbs from the Far Clans.” Crookedpaw couldn’t believe her ears. *So Spruce was right. They are real....Hmmm..... well then maybe... what if she found Sandkit? Or maybe tried? Maybe not, well, even if a cat talks about Amberpaw, she won’t care... not from he snout to tail would she ever care about a half ThornClan cat.* Crookedpaw sighed and stared at the approaching Skystar, padding towards Rainsplash. But little did *Crookedpaw* know, that Rainsplash had the *help* from a *ThornClan* cat. —Crookedpaw

Amberpaw was behind the warriors den, sitting next to Darkpaw. Amberpaw had recovered enough to move around. The main wound that was still healing was her eye. She leaned against Darkpaw. "I missed you." she admitted. "I missed you too." said Darkpaw. *What am I doing? Am I starting to have feelings for him or somthing? No, no, no. I have to accept that he isn't going to stay forever. I can't just be sad the rest of my life after he leaves.* But yet, Amberpaw couldn't help but purr when she remembered the fact that Darkpaw had come all this way for her. Darkpaw licked her ear. Amberpaw blushed. "I don't ever want to leave you again." the white speckled tom whispered. "Neither do I." Amberpaw said the words without thinking. Darkpaw twined his tail around hers. Amberpaw stood up. "Lets grab some fresh-kill. I'm starving." Darkpaw followed her, tail still intertwined with Amberpaw's. Flarepaw was sharing a rabbit with Firepaw, while a wistful Swallowpaw watched from afar. Hawkpaw and Crookedpaw snacked on a thrush. Amberpaw picked out a large squirrel. Flarepaw narrowed his eyes at her and Darkpaw's tails. Amberpaw gave him a look that said, 'what are you staring at?'. After her dinner, she and Darkpaw walked back to the medicine den. Amberpaw fell asleep, tail still twined with his. -Amberpaw

So this is what a betrayal trenched bloodline leads to. More betrayal to the clan. More secrets and more half-Clan cats, Skystar should be disappointed since the clan had many halfClan cats! Including Borages and Spruces! Rainsplash narrowed her eyes as she entered the medicine cats den, seeing Darkpaw, a tom with the same colored pelt as Swiftshadow twisting his tail with Amberpaw. But she passed the tom, toning down her growl. “I think I should gather more herbs, Kestrelflight has said that these are found in open land, maybe at the CaveClan or StormClan border?” She suggested. Birdpaw gave Rainsplash a sorrowful glance and said, “Sure, we are still losing cats though, especially Echolight.” Birdpaw sighed. Come back with as many as you can grab.” Rainsplash had turned to leave when Darkpaw then said, “I can come too! Maybe we can find some herbs for Amberpaw!” Then the spotted tom raced out and waited at the camp entrance. *Perfect! An exact duplicate of Swiftshadow coming with me on a hunt for more of these herbs. Wonderful luck I’m having!* Rainsplash hissed to herself. “I can come too,” Juniperpaw said as she jumped out of her nap. “Very well...” Rainsplash faked the happiness. As Rainsplash padded towards the two jumpy apprentices she commanded, “ok, so. Kestrelflight had mentioned flat land but fertile. So we shall head toawds the bank around the river, Ive seen many flowers there.” Before Darkpaw could speak Rainsplash interrupted; “ Darkpaw, you take the back, Juniperpaw gets middle, and I’ll lead.” *You will never convince me that your loyalty lies with WillowClan Fish-breath. —raindpslash*

Swiftshadow sighed. She had just finished dawn patrol. She came home to see Amberpaw in the medicine den. She walked in and saw her daughter twining tails with Darkpaw. Swift left the den to leave them alone. “Amberpaw has to accept that he won’t be here foreveR” she muttered to herself. “Let’s hope she won’t get too attached to him.” -Swiftshadow

Amberpaw listened to her mother mutter outside the den. "Let's hope she won't get too attached to him." her mother was saying. Amberpaw growled under her breath. Why was everybody thinking she made the wrong choice? She wanted to be with Darkpaw. It was nobody else's beeswax! *I don't care what anybody thinks about me. I choose Darkpaw.* Suddenly Stormstreak walked in. "Amberpaw, you have recovered enough to resume your training." she mewed. Amberpaw's heart leaped with joy. She was going to be a warrior, despite her injuries. Stormstreak turned to Darkpaw. Skystar said tat you can start WillowClan training until you leave to return to the far Clans." the medicine cat told him. Darkpaw gave her a look that said, *who told you I was ever going to leave?* Amberpaw stood and walked out of the den with Darkpaw too meet her mentor, Snowstorm. Snowstorm smiled. "I am helping to train Darkpaw while he is here." she said. That entire day, Amberpaw forgot about her scars, her pain, and the thought that Darkpaw might leave. All she thought about was what happiness awaited her and Darkpaw in the future. -Amberpaw

Crookedpaw yawned as she woke the next day. But it was A LOT colder then yesterday, it shivered her pelt. Skystar had been talking with Moondust, Amberpaw had been talking to Darkpaw, *as usual.* Crookedpaw sighed. Maybe hunting would clear her mind.... Of all the clans struggles, Echolight dying, the sickness, how weird Hawkpaw acts.... until her mentor Moondust padded up to her. “We need to do your hunting test today and maybe we will call the name Ceremony tomorrow. Skystar mya do it before the Gathering. So get ready.” As Crookedpaw padded away, Hawkpaw mewed, “wait! Me and Mistystream can come!” Which turned Moondust around and made Mistystream pad up. “I’m sorry, I’ve seen you around Crookedpaw, you should go separately.” And Moondust padded away. Mistystream then said, “we can go after them...” and a Crookedpaw flattered her ears, *Thank you Moondust! No more annoying Hawkpaw around! He follows me nonstop and always asks to share my prey! I just need some space.* Crookedpaw thought, dodging Hawkpaws eyes as she padded out of the WillowClan camp with her mentor and the deputy of WillowClan.—Crookedpaw.

Rainsplash sighed with relief, Darkpaw fled back to WillowClan followed by Juniperpaw once they couldn’t hold anymore herbs. Leaving Rainsplash to hunt in peace. Maybe fish a little. As she headed towards the lake shores of the lake, she saw a big fish that will be hers. As she pounced the fish swam away leaving a giant splash of water dampen her pelt. “Ugh...” Rainsplash padded out of the water with dripping fur and became cold as a sharp breeze struck her fur. She growled as she tried to shake the water off. And heard a faint laugh to her left. Pricking her ears, she heard an apprentice-like purr. And jumped backwards landing on the big red apprentice. “Ack! Hay!” he squealed. “Oooh, mor thornclan Cats to attack!” She yawned. “Get off of him.” a familiar voice said. “Hawktalon! She pounced on me! Should I get the clan?” Hawktalon showed himself out of the brambles and said. “No. This is only one cat.” Like he didn’t even know her. As Rainsplash growled and unsheathed her clans near the smaller cats shoulders, Hawktalon let this happen. *Right. He knows this'll hurt me. He knows my weakness! That little piece of Foxdung!* “Fine.” Rainsplash,Ash stepped off of the apprentice. “Now Redpaw, go back to camp. Your session is over, I’ll deal with *her*.” Hawktalon mewed Ash the red apprentice ran. *If you lay a claw on me!* “What are you doing on our territory? Alone?” Rainsplash rolled her eyes. “I was here with two apprentices on a herb hunt, and decided to fish.... but that no-brained apprentice on yours laughed and failed at being quiet for his prey. Plus, this is WillowClan Territory.” Hawktalon looked to his paws, dodging Rainsplash’s glare. “Well, I saw your fishing, and it didn’t look very successful....” “Well my mentor was busy! How was she to remember to teach me to fish?” Hawktalon shrugged. Until she heard the voice of Moondust. Turned to Hawktalon, and found a fish laying where he had stood. “Rainsplash? What are you doing out here?” Moondust asked. “Oh, just hunting....” she picked up the fish and ran back to camp.—Rainspalsh

Skystar stood on the Highrock. Amberpaw glanced up. "Today, we will make eleven new warriors! StarClan has blessed us with so many apprentices!" Amberpaw shifted her paws, excited. After she had recovered, she was able to catch up to the other apprentices and complete her training. "Crookedpaw, you will now be known as **Crookedflower**. Spiderpaw will be known as **Spiderfang**. Swallowpaw's name will be **Swallowspots**. Dapplepaw will now be **Dapplefrost**, and Breezepaw is now **Breezenight**." Amberpaw was even more excited. Her mother had always said to her that her name would be Ambergaze, for her eyes. But now, because of her wounds, it might be different... "Sproutpaw, you will now be called **Sproutstripe**, and Nutpaw you will be **Nutstreak**." Skystar announced. Amberpaw's excitement only grew. Her and her brothers were next. "Flarepaw, you will be called Flareflight, and Hawkpaw will be known as Hawkflame. And Amberpaw..." Amberpaw held her breath. this was her moment. "Amberpaw, you have suffered wounds and pain, but survived them all. You will be known as **Ambereye**." Ambereye gasped. This was only half of what she expected. But she loved her warrior name all the same. "Dapplefrost, Crookedflower, Breezenight, Spiderfang, Swallowspots, Nutstreak! Sproutstripe! Ambereye! Hawkflame! Flareflight!" Cheered the Clan. Darkpaw's voice was the loudest. Ambereye walked up and twined tails with him. "Funny that your older than me but still have an apprentice name." she purred playfully. Darkpaw batted her softly. "You have been a warrior for five minutes and you're already pointing that out?" he laughed. Suddenly, Nutstreak walked up to Ambereye. "Hey Ambereye." He said. "I caught prey for you!" His brother Sproutstripe pulled him away. "Don't even try." he muttered. "She likes the fish cat." Amberpaw narrowed her eyes at him. "Wanna hang out tonight?" he asked. Ambereye purred. "Yes PLEASE. Anything to get away from life for a few hours." She nuzzled Darkpaw and they walked outside camp. -Ambereye

Swiftshadow was looking for Ambereye to congratulate her on becoming a warrior. She saw her daughter's scarred tail whisk around the camp exit, with Darkpaw following close behind. "I guess I will leave them for a bit." she thought aloud. "They need some alone time to get what they want in life." -Swiftshadow

Ambereye sat next to Darkpaw in the darkening twilight. "This is what I have really needed." Darkpaw said. "Just some alone time to be with you." Ambereye nodded. "For sure." Darkpaw's expression changed. "I have been wanting to ask you somthing." he whispered. "This is probably the right time to ask." Ambereye was interested. She moved closer to him. They twined tails tightly and put their front paws over each others. "What is it?" she murmured. Darkpaw's eyes filled with love. "Will you be my-" suddenly a paw muffled Darkpaw's last word. The speckled tom was yanked away. Five cats were kidnapping him! "Darkpaw!" Ambereye shrieked. "Lilacpaw? Mother? Ashleaf?" is that you?" Darkpaw asked, terrified. "Lilacbreeze." Corrected a younger she-cat. "We have come to take you home." said an older tom that Darkpaw had called Ashleaf. "But- but I want to stay." Darkpaw stuttered. Darkpaw's mother narrowed her eyes. "You are needed in RiverClan." she hissed. "You are not staying." she and Lilacbreeze grabbed Darkpaw and dragged him away. He tried to escape, but the RiverClan warriors held him fast. Ambereye tried to chase after him, but she was attacked by the other three warriors. They forced her unconscious, and when she came to, Darkpaw was gone. -Ambereye

Ambereye was not herself this morning, Crookedflower had observed, and the gray warrior had been sobbing in her nest since she was dragged back by Nutstreak, Mistystream, and Hawkflame. Swallowspots had also followed Flareflight around. “You should just tell him how you feel! Like this, ‘oh Flareflight, I’ve loved you since the s ya you were born!’ Or something!” Crookedpaw urged her sister. Swallowspots shrugged, “he never notices me and never speaks to me. How can I be sure he likes me for me? And not, not liked me because we never talked?” Swallowspots sighed. “I’m gonna nap and see if StarClan speaks to me....” Swallowspots had then padded away before Crookedflower could object. Breezenight was speaking with Brackenleaf near the entrance of the warriors den. Crookedflower then felt familiar tabby fur stroke her pelt. “What’s up Hawkflame?” She asked, not turning back. “Oh! Just wondering what your doing! That’s all....” the tom answered with a sputter. “Okay, well if you want to know, I was just chatting with Swallowspots.” Crookedflower mewed. “Ok, nice...... follow me!” Hawkflame led Crookedflower out of camp and through a rose bush. “What now?” Crookedflower s pelt grew hot as Hawktalon looked at her weirdly. “I wanted to ask you.....you want to be my mate?” He asked, Crookedflower was shocked, *that’s why he has acted weird....* “I’m sure you’d love that, but... I’m sorry Hawkflame. I can’t. I don’t share the same feelings that you do....” Crookedflower stopped as she saw Hawkflames expression. “Fine! Than I guess you won’t!” The tom raced into the bushes and dissapeared. Crookedflower couldn’t help to see Swiftshadow’s spotted pelt through a nearby bramble bush and sigh as the spotted she-cat fled after her son. —Crookedflower

Rainsplash couldn’t sleep that night. *Why did he catch that fish for me! I was capable! I could do it!* An image of Hawktalons handsome grin struck her mind and she gagged at it. then sighed. This can’t happen. She should never like him! It’s against the warrior code! *Well if it’s even a thing in WillowClan anymore. To much betrayal stains Swiftshadow’s bloodline. And Spruces, And Borages.* But Rainsplash new that hers would soon be pained with betrayal if she got even closer to Hawktalon. —Rainsplash

Ambereye sulked in her nest. "Darkpaw... Darkpaw..." *He will find a way back to me. He WILL.* Ambereye couldn't help but wonder what he was going to ask her. *Will you be my... mentor? Will you be my... Clanmate? Will you be my... best friend?* Ambereye thought long and hard about it. Suddenly, an idea popped in her head. *Will you be my mate?* "Yes..." Ambereye mewed. "I will. Darkpaw I need you...." Suddenly Nutstreak walked in the den. "You seem upset." he said. Ambereye looked at him as if he had just pointed out that cats have fur. "Do you want me to comfort you?" the dark brown tom mewed. Ambereye groaned. "If a fox asked me if they could comfort me, I would accept." she muttered. Nutstreak sat next to her- a bit too close for Ambereye's liking. Only Darkpaw and her parents were allowed to sit next to her like this! But Ambereye was too weary to protest, or move away. "Look, you knew Darkpaw wasn't going to stay forever." Nutstreak meowed. *But...* "And, we also knew that his relatives from the Far Clans would come for him." *No, I didn't know that.* Ambereye thought ruefully. "Look Ambereye, you have to find somebody else to trust and be your mate." Nutstreak continued. "No... Darkpaw…" was all Ambereye could say. Nutstreak seemed to give up. He walked out of the den, sorrow in his eyes- and was that jealousy? Ambereye sighed and fell asleep, hoping to contact Darkpaw once again. -Ambereye

Swiftshadow chased after Hawkflame as he raced through the undergrowth. She found him sitting on a tree stump, playing with a flower in his claw. He bent the stem so that the flower was slightly crooked. "Crookedflower... Why..." Swiftshadow walked up to him and sighed. "Somthing went wrong?" she asked. "Yes!" Hawkflame hissed. "Everything went wrong! She doesn't love me!" Swiftshadow felt pity for her son. "Don't give up on Crookedflower. She was probably just surprised. You and her are a bit young to be mates just yet. Be patient and wait for the right time." Hawkflame sighed and nodded. "I will." -Swiftshadow

Darkpaw was being dragged the entire way back home. He wanted desperately to get back to Ambereye. He has recently learned that RiverClan and the other three Clans had made a new home around a lake. "Now I am another moons journey away from Ambereye." he muttered. He soon realized they were there, just not at his camp. His Clan mates were asleep. He carefully snuck out of their grasp, and began running back to WillowClan. *I don't care if it takes four seasons. I will get back to you Ambereye. I'm coming. -Darkpaw*

Crookedflower felt sick. How could she disappoint Hawkflame. He liked her, that was true, but.... she didn't like him. She new that she would be glared at by Hawktalon as she went back to camp. But then she saw moving figures in the Dark Forest around her. *Cats.... those are cats.. not of WillowClan though,.... AN AMBUSH! I have to warn them!* Crookedflower bolted into the camp entrance to meet lots of eyes, even Skystar looked worried.... “WillowClan! Ambush! Other Clan!” She stumbled over words and made cats aware, until one dark tabby tom leaped out of a nearby bramble, a broad ash brown tom. “ThornClan, Attack!” He yowled. —Crookedflower

Rainsplash gasped as she emerged from the Warriors den. Cats everywhere, scenting of ThornClan. *Oh no, why now!* Skystar has been attacking a big red tom with Moondust, Snowstorm and Brackenleaf had been attacking separate She-Cats. Rainsplash leaped atop of Redpaw slashing his back and sending him hissing and spitting. “Hay! It’s you again! I thought Hawktalon got rid of you!” The tom hissed. “Rainsplash! I’ll help you!” Crookedflower mewed as she pounce on Redpaw. Letting Rainsplash escape. She slashed at Hawktalon, sending him to the ground. “What are you doing here!” Yowled Rainsplash to Hawktalon. Her paws had turned red, was that blood? His blood? Rainsplash turned to see a different cat leaking blood all over the clearing, a tortoiseshell, Skystar stood over her pelt. “ThornClan! Retreat!” Hawktalon hissed, then he whispered into Rainsplashes ear, “I’m sorry, this was Pricklestar’s plot and we won.” And that made Rainsplash hiss aloud and slash at him even more, ignoring her own fake wounds. Leaving Hawktalon limp under her paws, “Moondust! No! Get Stormstreak!” Crookedflower mewed as she rushed over to Moondusts body. Hawktalon, a new deputy and Moondust, a great deputy have died. Rainsplash heard a voice in her ear, much like the one back at WindClan. *Rain had destroyed the Hawk....* and Rainsplash new what it meant now that her fur was really stained. —Rainsplash

**Hello! This is Hawkblossom! So I've just read the roleplay, and realized... we need to clear things up. Some cats are at the Far Cats, some are with the other seven clans back at WillowClan. Everyone, put ALL your roleplayed cats AND their location here! Thank you!**

**Stormstreak- at the far cats**

**Mistystream- back at the seven Clans and WillowClan**

**Rainsplash- in WillowClan**

**Crookedflower- in WillowClan**

**Borage- in WillowClan**

**Cola - in WillowClan**

**Swiftshadow - in WillowClan**

**Ambereye - In WillowClan**

**Darkpaw - between WillowClan and the New home of the Far Cats**

after Moondust, Nightfoot, and Snowstorms burial, Skystar had sat in her den, all morning. And the clan had been full of sorrow and loss. Swallowspots has padded up to Flareflight and had sat next to him, taking a deep breath. “Are you okay?” She asked, tilting her head. “Yeah, yeah. I Fine.... just worried for the clan, that’s all...” he paused. Swallowspots tried not to bite her lip, “how so?” She then asked. Flareflight yawned and looked at her. “Well, the Clan has no apprentices at all for any of the young warriors to train and then be capable of being deputy, so now an older warrior has to be the new deputy...... and, and..... Ive Never felt more alone in my life! No one loves me, my mother is always with Hawkflame and....” he paused to see Swallowspots hurt expression. “But that’s not true.” She blurted. “What—!” He started. “Flareflight, ever since apprenticeship I have been in love with you, but, was too scared that you didn’t like me. But now I’m not scared of the truth. The truth is good. The truth is what makes change and change is the best thing. So I’m embracing it.” Flareflight looked speechless and Swallowspots couldn’t believe what he said next. —Swallowspots

Cola had been a scaredy-cat from the beginning. Even the slightest unknown noise startled her. So when a bat squeaked and flew out from tree, what could she do but run? The various tree's brushes against her pelt, making it seem like swarms of bats were surrounding her. "BATTTTTTTTTTT!!!" She yelled. Not looking where she was going, she ran into a clump of trees. She heard meows and scattered muttering. She dared to look up and found a large, LARGE group of cats, (WillowClan), looking at her. She decided then that she would have rather faced the bats. - Cola

Ambereye woke up the next morning to find Nutstreak in her den next to her. She pushed him away. "What was that for?" he yowled. "Sorry." Ambereye mumbled. Nutstreak wrapped his tail around hers. "What are you doing?" Ambereye hissed. The dark brown tom looked shocked. "I... you don't know?" Ambereye narrowed her eyes. "Know what?" she growled. Nutstreak looked hurt. "I have had a crush on you since we were apprentices. When you met Darkpaw... I thought I lost you forever. But now he is gone and you are expecting kits and.." "WHAT?!" Ambereye roared. "Expecting kits? Me?" Nutstreak looked happy. "Yes! They will be wonderful, won't they?" Ambereye froze. *He thinks they are his kits. No. They aren't. They can't be. These kits are Darkpaw's.* "Nutstreak... I'm sorry." The chestnut brown tom looked confused. "Sorry for what?" he asked. Ambereye sighed. "These are Darkpaw's kits. I'm sorry Nutstreak, but you're not my true love." Nutstreak looked crestfallen, hurt, and shocked at the same time. "They can't be... Darkpaw is gone..." the tom walked away, shaking his head. Ambereye felt guilty. *Darkpaw... wherever you are... you have to make it through. For our kits. -Ambereye*

Darkpaw sulked. Twolegs had captures him, and he had been trapped in a Twoleg den for a quarter moon. *Will I ever get back to my mate? -Darkpaw*

Flareflight and Swallowspots entwined tails, and Swallowspots knew that the truth would make change. And of what she said, he said. Now her heart was warm, she felt as it nothing would break them, not her or Flareflight. The two had padded into the Warriors den to meet Nutstreak, “They can’t be... Darkpaw is gone...” he echoed as he exited with an unhappy look. Ambereye sat lonely in her den, looking worried as Swallowspots and Flareflight then entered. “Are you okay?” Swallowspots asked. A,her eye looked up and tried to smile. “Yeah, Yeah. I’m fine, what’s up with you? She asked smiling as Flareflight entered after Swallowspots. “Oh! um..... I told him everything and guess what!” Swallowspots purred. Flareflight finished. “I told her about my crush too, every time I saw her my heart..... lurched.” He paused. Ambereye giggled. “Okay, That’s good...” Ambereye looked very sad and Swallowspots needed to know why....—Swallowspots

The Cats soon dispersed, Cola though that they figured she was a statue and Cola just sorta stood there, awkwardly. "Um, Hello?" She said. She noticed a group of cats near a tall structure. She padded over to them. Staring at the ground she said, "Um, Hi, Um... Could you um... Could I..." Getting herself together, she took a deep breath and blurted out, "Can I stay here for the night?" She looked up hopefully. "I don't want to be wandering around in the forest with my kits coming and-" She stopped and stared at one of the cats. She was missing an eye. "Wha- What happened?" She asked. The She-cat winced. "Oh, um, I'm Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude!" Cola apologized. "Its fine," The cat said. "I'm Ambereye. If you want to stay here you need to talk to our leader about staying here." "Leader?" Cola felt butterfly's in her stomach. Seeing Ambereye's confused look she shook her self and gave a strained smile. "Right! A leader." Ambereye gave the other cats there a nod and whispered something like, "I'll be back." Then she lead Cola off in the direction of their leaders den. - Cola

Borage yawned. This wasn’t the first boring patrol she went on...... she brought back a few chaffinches and mice with Brackenleaf. She wished he didn’t look so glum. But she could understand, his mate and kits were dead, and not even starclna could've changed their fate. *But he can change his....* Borage thought. *At least he has his mother and his friends left,* she glanced at him as his tail dragged on the grassy ground. She sighed now, but then was supprised when an unfamiliar scent filled her nostrils. *Either Kittypet or loner! NoClan’s!* Borage followedit all the way up to a tortoiseshell she-cat. She was with Ambereye and they had started to pad up towards Skystars den, she raced to the Kittypets side and mewed. “Hello! I’m Borage! I used to be a loner like you and joined the clans! What’s your name?” She cocked her head at the scared looking Kittypet. —Borage.

Ambereye had now moved to the nursery. The Clan knew she was going to have kits now. Ambereye had told the Clan they were Nutstreak's, because they would probably not be happy if they knew the kits were Darkpaw's. Her mother and Brambleheart came to visit her. "Congratulations!" Swiftshadow mewed. "We knew you could forget about Darkpaw and move on." Said her father. Ambereye winced. *You won't be saying that when my kits are black and white.* Ambereye sighed. Her parents exchanged glanced and left the den. Nutstreak came in next. "Alright, so the Clan believes that we are mates, and that means we have to ACT like mates." he said. He had a funny look, like he was hiding somthing. He wrapped his tail around Ambereye's, much to her uncomfort. *You aren't my mate!* Nutstreak put his paws on Ambereye's shoulders and purred. "You can trust me to help raise your kits." He said. Ambereye's stomach churned. *This feels so wrong. Darkpaw, wherever you are, hurry. I need you. -Ambereye*

Cola looked at Borage, "I'm um.. I'm Cola." Cola was about to say somthing else when a jolt of pain erupted through her stomach. "Youch!" She yelled. Borage stared at her. "What's wrong?" "My kits." Cola manged to say, as more jolts erupted through her. "I- I think they're coming." - Cola

”Oh no! I remember that feeling!” She quickly mewed, Cola looked really hurt. “GET Stormstreak! Anybody! Her kits are coming!” Borage hissed to the clan. some cats looked startled. Skystar padded out of her den. “Stormstreak isn’t here currently. No one really knows where she went off to.... Birdpaw! Juniperpaw! This new cat is going to have her kits! Take her into the medicine cats den and do your work!” Skystar commanded. The two apprentices did as told. “Don’t worry Cola, your kits will be fine. These two are young but know so much. Maybe too much.” Borage mewed as she followed the three she-cats into the Medicine cats den. She sspotted Spruce looking confused. “WillowClan will have more kits!” Borage mewed. —Borage

Swallowspots soon moved into the Nursery with Ambereye. “Oooh! I’m so excited for yours! I can’t be leave Nutstreak is the father. He’ll be a great father. Flareflight will too!” Swallowspots purred. Ambereye looked guilty. “What’s wrong?” Ambereye was silent, lost in thought maybe? Swallowspots then realized. “You miss that apprentice don’t you?” Ambereye tensed. “Aww. That’s okay...... I hope you two reunite someday.” Ambereye looked surprised. “Why?” she mewed. Swallowspots purred. “You looked so happy with him. I want you to always be happy, I hope Swiftshadow and Brambleheart want you to be happy.” Swiftshadow then felt a kick to her side. “Ooh! Flareflight! Flareflight! Come here! I was kicked. Come feel!” Flareflight bolted in. “What’s wrong!?” He hissed with worry. “Come and feel me, one of them kicked me!” Flareflight put a paw to Swallowspots stomach and he gasped and licked her head. “They’ll be great and beautiful like you....” “and strong like you.” Swallowspots purred as Flareflight started to groom her. —Swallowspots

Rainsplash woke in her moss bed. She had felt nothing. Not even tired. She felt lonely and miserable. She padded out of her den to find countless housing and painful sounding hisses. One of the queens must be Kitting,,,, she thought. And she turned to meet Swallowspots. “Hey, Rainsplash! Flareflight and I are gonna have kits! Isn’t that exciting!” She shouted. “Yeah, yeah.... that’s okay...” Rainsplash trailed off. Swallowspots looked disappointed but then padded away. Rainsplash felt empty inside. Like nothing would change her emotions and guilt for killing the only cat she wanted to be with right about now. Nothing would ever be the same knowing that she had killed the tom she loved. —Rainsplash

Ambereye paced the nursery restlessly. Nutstreak was following her. "Leave me alone." she growled. Nutstreak looked away. "You have to act like you really care about me if you want to convince the Clan that those kits aren't Darkpaw's." he purred. Ambereye hissed. "Maybe I should just tell them the truth! I don't want to have you following me and grabbing my tail wherever I go!" The chestnut brown tom sighed. "Fine... but I need to tell you somthing." Ambereye was done with Nutstreak at this point. "What?" The tom looked guilty and excited at the same time. "Those kit really are mine." he said. "I just know... fathers intuition?" Ambereye gasped. "You don't know! You are not my mate! Darkpaw is!" Nutstreak sat. "I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have had kits with a cat who wasn't my mate..." Ambereye yowled in anger. "What did you do?!" Nutstreak was pained. "I drugged your fresh kill with poppy seeds each night." he said quietly. "When you fell asleep, I tried to sleep as close to you as possible... but wake early so you would never notice. I'm sorry... I really wanted to have kits with you. I didn't realize you and Darkpaw were close enough to be mates... please forgive me." Ambereye was fighting every fiber of her being not to leap on him. "I don't want these kits." she hissed. "I want Darkpaw's kits. This is what your punishment will be. We will both go into the forest to have our kits. Tell the Clan we want to have them alone. We will give the kits to a loner or kittypet of some type, and return to the Clan saying they died."-Ambereye

Darkpaw was having a nightmare. He was running towards Ambereye, but never getting closer. Suddenly, a flood swept over him, and he could hear Ambereye's distressed voice ringing in his ears. *Darkpaw... I'm sorry. Nutstreak tricked me into having his kits. Forgive me.* Darkpaw woke up, shaking. *Just another dream. Ambereye is safe. My mate. She would never bear another cat's kits. -Darkpaw*

”Congrats Nutstreak! Im so happy for you and Ambereyes kits! I wish me and Flareflights kits would come faster!” Swallowspots sighed. And she was pushed to the ground by another painful kick. “Ugh....” she breathed swiftly. Nutstreak sighed. “Oh Swallowspots. I wish I felt the same happiness you have had.....” and he padded away. Leaving Swallowspots with Ambereye. “What did you do? He looks so sad..... Ambereye, I bet his mate and kits company would cheat him up..... Wouldn’t that be nice?” And Ambereye let out a loud snarl. “NO!!” And she buried her head in her paws. Swallowspots was hurt. “But why wouldn’t your mate and the father of your kits cheat him up!!!” Swallowspots tried not to show she was sad and was angry. —Swallowspots.

Crookedflower tried to doge being around Hawkflame now. And only because she had crushed his hopes and dreams. She liked Sproutstripes company and played like they were kits yet again. “Thanks Sproutstripe. I needed to freshen up a bit before going hunting again!” Sproutstripe purred as Crookedflower padded away. Hawkflame passed by her towards Sproutstripe as she walked. *So much for keeping away from him!* Crookedflower sighed. She looked back to see Hawkflame hissing at Sproutstripe and she ran over to Hawkflame and scratched him on the cheek. He flinched away. “What was that for!” He snarled. “That” Crookedflower started. “Was for picking on Sproutstripe! You should know not to fight your clan mates over your dreams!” she smacked his face again and padded away. Not until she saw Nutstreak. He looked depressed. “What’s wrong?” She asked. But the tom padded on. “Why is the Clan so difficult!” And suddenly she felt icy cold touch her forehead. It was snowing. “It’s Leaf-bare already!” —Crookedflower

Ambereye had been talking with Swallowspots since she moved to the nursery with Flareflight's kits. "I like to think that our kits will be kin!" said Swallowspots. *But our kits will never meet.* Ambereye thought bitterly. "Why are you so glum these days?" asked her fellow queen. "You're expecting kits! You should be happy!" Ambereye looked at her. "I must tell you a secret." she said. "But you CANNOT tell anybody else." Swallowspots nodded. "Nutstreak tricked me. I'm not his mate. I'm not supposed to have his kits." Swallowspots' eyes widened. Ambereye told her of what Nutstreak did to her. Drugging her fresh kill. Waking early so she wouldn't know... Swallowspots shuddered. "I find it scary that any tom could do that to any she-cat." she mewed. Ambereye nodded. "I... I don't want these kits. Before they are born, me and Nutstreak are taking them to twolegplace and giving them to a kittypet or loner to raise. I want nothing to do with Nutstreak or his kits." Swallowspots nodded. "I can't imagine if Flareflight tricked me into having kits like that. And- wait a second.... if Nutstreak isn't your mate, who is?" Ambereye smiled for the first time in a moon. "Darkpaw." she said. "And he is coming back. I know he is." -Ambereye

Swiftshadow sat next to Hawkflame. "What have I done?" the tabby tom wailed. "I shouldn't have attacked Sproutstripe like that!" Swiftshadow felt pity for her son. "Why did you attack Sproutstripe?" she mewed softly. Hawkflame tensed. "I just saw him with Crookedflower... in a more-than-friends way... and I guess I just... snapped." Swiftshadow nodded. "Perhaps you should just stop following her." she told Hawkflame. The brown tabby tom stood. "I know what to do now." He dashed out of the warriors den and walked up to Crookedflower. "I know you don't love me." he said. "And I will stop following you. Just please, keep this in mind. No matter what you think of me, I will always love you, Crookedflower." he turned his back on the white she-cat and padded away without another word. Crookedflower looked astonished. "He finally stood up for himself." she muttered. Swiftshadow smiled. Perhaps her youngest son would have a mate and kits of his own soon enough. -Swiftshadow

Swallowspots sobbed in the nursery. “I knew you and Darkpaw would reunite! And be happy.” Ambereye looked as if she was thinking about a ‘handsome’ tom. She chuckled. “Maybe the new Kittypet in the clan knows about someone who lives nearby?” Ambereye looked over at the sleeping she-cat with her kits bundled around her stomach. “Maybe....” Ambereye trailed off. “I still can’t believe Nutstreak did that to you! That must’ve been really hard to hear since you thought those were Darkpaw’s kits..... Does he know about them?” Ambereye tensed and Swallowspots knew she hit a nerve in Ambereye’s sobbing body full of unwanted kits. —Swallowspots

Crookedflower smiled. Hawkflame did say he still loved her which made her stomach hurt a little, but she had known he had to stop one day, which encouraged Crookedflower to start going around him some more. She padded up to Sproutstripe that night. “Are you okay? I think Hawkflame apologized. You still look a little sad.” Sproutstripe just sighed. “I’m worried for Nutstreak. He seems REALLY sad these days and I can’t stand it. Do you think we are able to make it like old times and make him happy? Like play fighting?” Sproutstripe chuckled, “remember when you pinned both of us under you paws?” Crookedflower smiled. “Yes, I do. Those times were so fun. Maybe we could do them again.” She paused and yawned. “We should probably see Ambereye. Maybe she knows why he seems so sad.—Crookedflower

Swallowspots couldn’t take the fact that Ambereye wanted to SELL her Clan born kits to the soft life of a KITTYPET due to her disliking on them. Before Ambereye could speak after her last question. She spat “Why would you want to get rid of perfectly good Clan born kits to KITTYPETS! I mean, Kittypets? Why not a vicious group of loners too? And someday you’ll meet in battle again and what will you do then? Ambereye, I know you have to have some feelings for you kits! There has to be another way. I know you'll have to feel some sadness when they leave! All queens and mothers have feelings for their kits. I know you might too.” Swallowspots sighed as Ambereye started to speak, calmly.—Swallowspots

"I... I just can't keep these kits. And Nutstreak needs SOME punishment for his actions. Maybe he could have just confessed his wants and feelings for me instead of doing THIS." Swallowspots sighed. "I know Nutstreak was wrong in his choices, but these are live, living, breathing kits." Ambereye huffed. "This would be so much easier if Darkpaw was here... He would know what to do..." Swallowspots looked sad. "Talk to Nutstreak." she said. "Ask him what he wants to do." Ambereye growled at the sound of the tom's name. "He will want to keep the kits. Plus, he is not my mate and I don't want him to be. Tomorrow at dawn, we are leaving for twolegplace! My kits will be born soon, and they should never know Clan life!" Swallowspots opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Soon, Sproutstripe and Crookedflower walked in. "Nutstreak has been so sad lately." Sproutstripe mewed. "Do you know why? After all, Ambereye, you should know. You are his mate." Ambereye looked at him. "No I'm not." She then explained the story of how Nutstreak tricked her into having his kits. Sproutstripe and Crookedflower gasped. "I can't believe my brother would do that!" Sproutstripe meowed. "I should speak with him." He and Crookedflower left the den. -Ambereye

Swallowspots understood that Ambereye had a reason to get rid of her kits, but Swallowspots know this was her own choice. She’d love her kits forever and remember all of their young moments with Flareflight. She knew her Kitting is near and getting nearer and nearer by the moon. But then a thought struck her mind like a thunderbolt. “Ambereye. I know you don’t want to talk right now, but I HAVE to ask. If Darkpaw is coming back as you say he is, won’t he think you’ve had HIS kits? But his heart will break once you don’t? What are you gonna tell him?”—Swallowspots

Rainsplash was out on a patrol with Hawkflame and Crookedflower, she hadn’t wanted to patrol but she did. She wanted them to hunt near the abandoned Twolegnest, not only for the good prey, but to go and beat up the loners there. She felt tired and lonely as usual. And she decided to catch a few mice and the nap in the Skytree. In her dreams were Nightmares; she had killed all of WillowClan with blood all over her claws, muzzle and legs. She had also been in an inch-deep pool of blood with Hawktalon in front of her, she then tensed. “I can’t kill you too” she wailed, but Hawktalon then mewed. “I know, StarClan has blessed your loss. They can’t stand a great warrior being devastated about one cat, so now you’ll have company.” he mewed. “Wait, this isn’t a normal dream is it.” She asked the tom. “No, I am really here, Rainsplash. I’m sorry to have failed you. StarClan shouldn’t have had this happen.” He looked her in the eyes and whispered, “Rainsplash, I have another mate...” Rainsplash flinched. “Shadowstep of ThornClan, she has had kits. Falconkit and Ravenkit. They were never meant to be born, and will bring chaos to all of the Clans if you don’t stop them. But, you’ll have your paws full with other things at the time.... StarClan has forgiven us, Me and you. With a gift.” He finished with a purr. “What gift? Hawktalon. What did you say!” She hissed. She had missed hissing at the tom for quite a wile. “Oh, you’ll see.” He smiled. “I’ll follow you everywhere my love.” And Rainsplash woke up with a jolt. Then she took her mice back to WillowClan with Hawkflame and Crookedflower as the sun fell and the stars rose.—Rainsplash

"I'm leaving the Clan to have my kits now." Ambereye told Swallowspots. "They are due tomorrow. Darkpaw will never know they existed." Swallowspots looked at her. "Good luck." she mewed. A day later, Ambereye had her kits under a bush in Twolegplace. She later met a kittypet named Pepsi, who was unable to have kits with her mate, West. West also had a sister named Sunrise. Ambereye explained her and Nutstreak's conflict to the three housecats. Pepsi and West agreed to adopt the kits. While they were naming them, Nutstreak was in deep conversation with Sunrise. "This brown she-kit will be Pepper." Pepsi mewed. "And the silver she-kit with brown dapples will be Sprite." West smiled. "The light brown tom with darker stripes will be Bull, and the blue-gray tom will be Horse." Ambereye left her kits with the happy couple. She went to Nutstreak. 'Time to return to WillowClan." she mewed. Nutstreak glanced uneasily at her. "I'm staying here." he said. "'I'm staying with Sunrise's twolegs. Sunrise is a cat who actually CARES about me, Ambereye." Ambereye didn't even protest. "Suit yourself. I will tell your family you were to soft to handle Clan life." Ambereye left the tom. The last she saw of him was Nutstreak twining tails with Sunrise. -Ambereye

Cola has finally had her kits. She had thanked Juniperpaw and Birdpaw for there incredible help and had been left to rest. Borage peeked inside. "Can I come in?" She asked. "Sure." Cole replied. Borage came in and looked at the kits. "They're really cute! And they look healthy too. What are you going to name them?" Cola though for a second. "That's Cobalt." Cola said motioning to a black and ginger tom. "And Firefly." She gestured to a light ginger she. "And um... Hmm..." She paused over a dark ginger cat. She thought back to her days as a kitty pet with her mother, Trouble. "That's Tangerine." She declared. "I do not know what half of those names are, but okay! Anyway, aren't you going to give them clan names?" Borage asked. "Clan names? What do you mean?" "You're staying right?" "Staying? Oh no, my kits belong with two-legs. I'm not quit sure they'll be suited to clan life." Then Cola began to wonder. *Did they belong with their father, Fanta, at all?* - Cola

”Where’s Nutstreak!” Swallowspots hissed as Ambereye entered the nursery looking tired. “He” Ambereye was more irritated than Swallowspots could’ve ever imagined. “Decided to take the SOFT and EASY life of a KITTYPET! Now please let me sleep!” Swallowspots was silent and couldn’t believe her ears, “my....” she started but then she let out a yowl as she felt the hardest pain that ever hit her, in her stomach. This made Ambereye shoot up with wide eyes. “What! What’s wrong!” She yelled. Swallowspots didn’t know and burst out. “MY KITS! THEY'RE HERE! ITS TIME!” and Ambereye rushed out of the nursery, returning with Birdpaw and juniperpaw and Flareflight behind. —Swallowspots

Cola watched as the other queen in the nursery began having her kits. Cobalt and Tangerine tried to leap over her tail and watch too but she wouldn't let them. Firefly just sat peacefully trying to groom herself and cover her ears at the same time. Cola tried to give advice to the kitting Queen, she later found out was named Swallowspots, but she was quickly hushed by a glare. Clearly she did not belong in this "clan thing" yet. Ambereye seemed really grumpy. She had to find out why. That night, after Swallowspots had had her kits, Cola whispered to Ambereye, "What's wrong? Where are your kits?" Ambereye glared at her. "None of your business." Cola sighed. "Please? Pretty please?" "No." Ambereye replied curtly. Cola went back to sleep. - Cola

Ambereye fell asleep. She was dreaming. Darkpaw was in front of her. It made Ambereye's heart hurt to be so close to her mate... after so long... "Ambereye." Darkpaw spoke. "This is not a normal dream. I'm really here." Ambereye's eye glistened with tears. "Does that mean your... your..." Ambereye didn't want to say it. "I'm not dead." Darkpaw mewed. "I'm just here somehow. I was trapped in a Twoleg nest, but I escaped with the help of a few kittypets. I am only a half moons journey away. I am coming Ambereye." Darkpaw had a strange look of relief on his face. "Is somthing wrong?" she asked him. "I just... I had a nightmare that you forgot about me and had kits with another tom. But you have no kits. You are still waiting for me." he mewed. Ambereye shuddered. *If only he knew.... -Ambereye*

Swallowspots was hurting after the last bundle of fur rolled out of her. And the apprenticed did what they could to help. After the hard Kitting, Flareflight ran in and huddled close to his mate. “Oh Swallowspots! I heard you, I—I thought you’d....” he sighed and purred around her. “Oh Flareflight, we have two beautiful go,den she-kits just waiting for us to name!” Flareflight looked proud and then padded over to the golden she-kits. “One’s a tabby and the other looks like you!” Swallowspots was so happy, she wanted to leap out of her nest and run as fast as she could forever, but she was still aching from having her kits though and had to lay still. “What if we name them ones that don’t have our fur coats? Like I name the ginger tabby, and you name—.” “The one that looks like my true love.” Flareflight interrupted with a purr of excitement. Then Swallowspots peered at the ginger she-kit, “oh my, she’s gorgeous.......” Swallowspots glanced at the color, the color reminded her of one of those hazel nuts that she’d see on the hazel tree’s when she was on a hunting patrol. Speaking of hunting patrol..... when will the new deputy be picked? “Hazelkit” she mewed lost in thought about how long it was since she had her last meal. Since the whole clan had their last meal. Flareflight stared at the fuzzy one. *She has his fluffy fur, and his eyes and my coat.... and Hazelkit has his eyes and my flat fur, but his coat! I can’t wait for what the future holds for them.* “Featherkit, after your name of the birds, and her fur.” Swallowspots smiled as Flareflight curled up besides her and they both cuddled their kits on each side, Hazelkit and Featherkit. —Swallowspots

“oh Borage! Don’t you know?” Sprucefall mewed with a smile. Borage yawned. “What? What’s going on now?” Borage sighed and stretched. Spruce chuckled. “Swallowspots had her kits, your grandchildren?” She mewed. Borage snapped awake, “didn’t Nutstreak and Ambereye have kits?” She mewed. “You must’ve missed the anouncement last night.” Swiftshadow sighed sorrowfully “Ambereye said a Fox came and killed her kits, and, and.....” “Nutstreak.” Spruce finished. Borage sighed and left back to the nursery, the p,ace that started it all. She came in and saw Swallowspots and Flareflight sleeping together, with two kits in the middle. Borage smiled. But then her smile faded as she saw the ginger tabby. This one reminded her of her worst enemy and former mate. Frostfang. —Borage

“Skystar, this clan needs a new deputy! There has been no hunting patrols since Moondusts death and the can is realizing their hunger! Who shall be deputy! We need to know, NOW!” Rainsplash spat at the black leader. Skystar closed her eyes and sighed. “Mistystream.... is the new deputy.” Rainsplash went out and Skystar followed. “Let all you cats gather beneath the clan mound for a clan meeting!” She howled under the moon. It had been so long since the last clan meeting, it made Rainsplash feel satisfaction through her pelt. *This clan is betting back on track.* And then she heard a smaller voice. *Yep, it'll get there.* Hawktalons voice had then disappeared like a vapor as Skystar spoke, ***(rereads deputy ceremony form warriors wiki lol)***  “I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve my choice.” The cats gathered around let out excited purrs and whispers, the Clan was getting back on track. “The new deputy of WillowClan will be Mistystream.” Rainsplash smiled as her former mentor looked supprised. “I—I,” she paused as the crowd made a path. “Now, let us discuss your duties in my den.” Skystar mewed, “but first, I want to introduce some new kits, born to Swallowspots! Hazelkit and Featherkit! And we all still grieve for Nutstreak, and Ambereye’s kits.... Clan meeting dismissed.” And the two she-cats went into the leaders den, Mistystream and Skystar. Rainsplash finally felt a spark of hope flicker in her heart, but then suddenly felt very tired and had a belly ache, so she went back to her nest and took a nap, knowing the Clan was in good paws. —Rainsplash

Ambereye was depressed. She didn't want to make any more cats sad, but she did. Spruce, Cedar and Sproutstripe were still grieving for Nutstreak. It had been about a half moon since she had given her kits to the kittypets. Suddenly, she smelled a scent. Most cats in WillowClan would not recognize this scent, but Ambereye knew this scent as if she had smelled it her entire life. Tears formed in her eyes as the figure bearing the scent stepped out into the open. Shining yellow eyes, ruffled black-and-white pelt, and weary paws, as if he had been traveling for moons, which he probably had been. Darkpaw dashed forward as fast as he could, but Ambereye was probably running faster. She embraced him, purring louder than she had ever purred in her life. She twined tails with the speckled tom, and they both silently vowed to never be apart again. She took him into the nursery to speak with him. The new queen Cola looked confused. She had never seen Darkpaw, and still thought Ambereye's mate was Nutstreak. Swallowspots looked surprised, and overjoyed. "The apprentice came back! Ambereye can be happy again!" -Ambereye

Pepper stood up. Her mother, Pepsi, was licking her brothers, Bull and Horse. Her sister Sprite was feeding. But Pepper wanted to explore. She wanted to see the world. She had faint memory of strange smells, like plants and prey. But she had smelled those before she opened her eyes. She saw her father, West, sunbathing. Why was her family so boring? The world was so big, and they didn't bother to go see any of it. -Pepper

Rainsplash gagged, that fishy scent filled her nose again and she knew what had happened. He came back for her. Ambereye ran up to him and her purring woke the whole clan up. “Hey, Ambereye,“ she started as she padded up to the two love birds. “He needs to be a warrior in order for you to be his mate.” And more cats padded up to them, Swiftshadow looked suprised and her eyes filled with worry, so did Bramblehearts. Rainsplash visited the medicine cats den *again* due to her continuing belly aches. “Birdpaw, Juniperpaw, this time.... it really aching.” Birdpaw s head peaked out. ”Oh! Okay, come in, we need to do some tests....” Rainsplash entered and sat in a moss bed as the two apprentices presses against her stomach and asked questions. Then at the end, they went and discussed something Rainsplahs couldn’t make out. *Is this another random pain thing? I should tell them. They might wanna know..... Hawktalon! Did you do this?* She hissed in her mind. “We have a solution!” Birdpaw smiled as Juniperpaw gathered some borage. *No my love, StarClan did, we did.* His voice echoed. *Did what? You died remember! I don’t understand.....* she thought. *You won’t at all, I don’t even understand either.* And then Rainsplash managed to catch some of that Birdpaw mewed. “... And so. Your gonna have kits soon!” Rainsplash then flinched. *I, I can’t! We didn’t, we weren’t that close! This is impossible! Hawktalon, What did you do!* She was filled with fear and confusion. *I don’t know, this is what StarClan decided!* He answered. Rainsplash rolled her eyes. *You are litterally in StarClan mouse-brain! Okay, so I’m expecting the kits of a dead tom. Wow! I don’t know who the father is....* Rainsplash the heard Juniperpaw say, “whose the father?” Rainsplash hesitated and said from her heart, “I—I don’t know.”—Rainsplash

Sprite yawned. Pepper had ALWAYS kept looking out into the forest lately. So she started to look too. “So, Pepper.... do you see some forest cats when your up here? That would be so cool!” She mewed. It had been about 4 moons since birth for the kits. “Actually, I have.... but the seem vicious with scars and stuff like that. I wish we could go there, isn’t life boring here? Maybe we could join one of those groups and have some action!” Pepper meowed. Sprite yawned. “ I wonder if mother would let us, the housefolk seem like they really don’t like us anyway.....” Pepsi then called, “Kittens! Nap time!” And then Pepper sighed, “forget it, we’ll be trapped here forever....” and then she leaped back off of the fence and back to Pepsi, Sprite then was too deep in her thought and sight, she saw every living thing, and felt the wind ruffle her fur. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Coming!” She mewed. And she ran back to Pepsi.—Sprite

Cola needed some fresh air. So she took her kits and, after notifying Skystar she was leaving to visit her sister, Pepsi, she waltzed out of camp, heading for two-leg place. Cobalt scrambled along behind her, Firefly complaining she was going to get her pelt dirty, and Tangerine pouncing on a butterfly nearby. Cola sighed contentedly. She loved her kits. "So who is this Pepsi anyway?" Cobalt asked. "Does she have kits?" He looked at her hopefully. "No, sorry." Cola replied. "She and her mate can't have kits." Cobalt sighed sadly. "I wish there were kits to play with. I can't wait until I'm and apprentice!" Cola flinched but continued through the woods. After a few minutes of walking she saw the two-leg house where her sister lived in the distance. " 'Ello 'Ello!" West greeted them. "I see you've had Fanta's kits. They look lovely." Pepsi followed behind. Cobalt looked curiously behind Pepsi. "Mommy?" He whispered. "I though you said they didn't have kits." "They don't, honey." Cola replied. "Oh but we do! This cat named Ambereye came by with kits and we agreed to adopt them. Her mate Nutstreak decided to stay with us." Pepsi exclaimed. "But, Ambereye said her kits were killed by a fox." Cola faltered. "Oh kits! Come here and meet your aunt!" (Idk if they use aunt or not.) The kits came scrambling. "Are you a forest cat?" One asked. "Yes, why?" "I wanna be a forest cat one day." "Cola laughed. "Maybe one day I'll come back and take you with me back to Willowclan. *The kit ran off giggling. After some time cola gathered up her kits, said goodbye and left. After dropping off her kits in the nursery, she went to question Ambereye. - Cola ​*

Ambereye twined tails with Darkpaw as they sat below the Highledge. Skystar was announcing Darkpaw's return, and giving him a warrior name. "Wait!" Darkpaw said. "I... I don't really want a warrior name." The Clan gasped. "I want to just be Darkpaw. Is that ok? I would still be proud to be a warrior of WillowClan. Surprisingly, Skystar nodded. "Darkpaw, your permanent name will forever be Darkpaw. We are proud to welcome you as a warrior of WillowClan. Ambereye purred proudly. Darkpaw leaned against her. "I want kits Ambereye." he whispered. Ambereye purred louder. "Then kits is what you will get." -Ambereye

Cola stormed up to Darkpaw and Ambereye as they sat down. "I need to talk to you." She growled to Ambereye. "Alone." Ambereye looked confuzzled. (That's my new favorite word!) "Can't Darkpaw come?" "Fine. But I'm not sure you'll want him to hear this." Cola glared at Ambereye as she lead them outside. "So your kits were killed by a fox huh?" Ambereye flinched. "And their father Nutstreak was killed too?" Cola continued. "Apparently my sister Pepsi has kits." She looked Ambereye straight in the eye. "*Your* kits." - Cola

Rainsplash had taken a walk through the woods. Trying to reason with Hawktalon why she should NOT have kits. *And number three; I need to help my clan! Not take care of the children of a dead man! What am I gonna tell WillowClan once they announce that I had my kits, huh? “Oh hey WillowClan! It turns out that I am having kits! With a dead cat! Woo Hooo.” Huh? Is that wut I gonna say?* Rainsplash was so confused. *Honestly Rainsplash.... I really don’t know...... this was StarClans choice without my permission! And my other wife had just had my son! His name isssss......* Rainsplash Interrupted him. *Look, I just want to know why—* Hawktalon then mewed. *Falconkit? What about way cooler names! Like..... um..... Uh, Cloud, Kit? Ugh, what ever. Falconkit is okay with me.* Rainsplash still didn’t have the answers she needed. Not yet. But right now, she needed to chat with Mistystream, the only cat she had needed to trust and the new deputy of WillowClan. —Rainsplash

Darkpaw glared at Ambereye. "What is this? Kits? With Nutstreak? Ambereye... I feel betrayed." Ambereye winced. "I never wanted Nutstreak's kits." she gasped. "He tricked me!" she explained Nutstreak's devious plan to Cola and Darkpaw. Darkpaw leaned against Ambereye an twined tails with her. "I'm so sorry my love." he whispered. "I should have been there..." Ambereye shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. Please don't worry about me. Nutstreak's kits are not mine. I want nothing to do with them. That is why I gave them to Cola's sister, who couldn't have kits of her own." Darkpaw nodded. "And where is Nutstreak?" he asked. Ambereye flinched again. "He isn't dead. He is living with the kittypets. He found a mate who actually WANTS his kits." -Ambereye

Swiftshadow looked at her daughter. She had been reunited with her true love, though most of the Clan didn't appreciate him too much. Swiftshadow got a mouse from the fresh kill pile and shared it with Brambleheart. "You can tell she never really loved Nutstreak." the brown tabby tom murmured. Swiftshadow nodded. "Also, Brambleheart, why are you sad these days? Ever since the battle. You seem let down." Brambleheart sighed. "My brother Hawktalon was killed in the battle. Killed by Rainsplash. That gray she-cat makes me nervous... she doesn't seem to like either of us. Maybe she will kill me too." Swiftshadow batted him with a paw. "Rainsplash is not going to kill you!" she mewed. "She would get HERSELF killed if she did that. Also, I bet she is not going to kill anybody for a while." Brambleheart looked confused. "She is expecting kits. You may not realize, but I know what an expectant queen looks like." Brambleheart thought this over. "Who is her mate?" he asked. "Not sure." Swiftshadow answered. "She has not been interacting with any toms.. maybe her mate is from another Clan." -Swiftshadow

Rainsplash had heard Bramblehearts conversation. *Theyre getting onto me! In a BAD way..... Hawktalon What did you do!* The she felt his presence. *Like I said, many, many times before. It was NOT ME. Blame StarClan!* And then his presence disappeared. *I need to lie! I need to have a fake love! A brown tabby tom...... Hawkflame? No, him and Crookedflower seem to be having problems. Maybe a dead tom? Nightfoot perhaps? He was a dark brown, brown enough...... WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT!* Rainsplash new she had to tell Mistystream right away so she shoved herself towards the Warriors den. As she saw the brown she-cat asleep she then sighed. Poked her a few times. And whispered in her ear. “We need to speak about something urgent. Right now, outside of camp. And Mistystream nodded, stretched, and yawned as they padded out of camp. “What is it?” She asked with a tired face. “Hey, so.... um. Do you remember Hawkpaw? From my first gathering?” Mistystream nodded. “He became Hawktalon and he died, because I killed him?” Mistystream nodded. “Well, I had a dream with his StarClan version in it, saying that StarClan has given me a gift, when I wasn’t even his mate.... and, and, and now..... I think I’m expecting his kits.” —Rainsplash

Swallowspots sighed with relief. “Hazelkit and Featherkit, Hazelkit and Featherkit, Hazelkit and—.” She mewed but then paused as Ambereye came in. “Oh?” She mewed. Ambereye looked way more excited than usual when Darkpaw came in. “This is her, Swallowspots, this is Darkpaw, and Darkpaw, this is Swallowspots, the cat I told you about?” She mewed, Darkpaw greeted her with a nod. “Hello, Ambereye has talked about you a lot, she must trust you greatly and so will I.” Swallowspots nodded. “Thank you, A,Berwyn has talked about you much too....” and the couple left. *I wonder..... I wish Nutstreak never left. He would’ve been a great warrior of WillowClan, they could’ve kept their kits here, as loners, and WillowClan would’ve had new apprentices...... But things will never be the same in WillowClan. Never again. —Swallowspots*

Cola looked at Ambereye with a new appreciation. She had never meant to have kits with Nutstreak, she had been trying to have kits with Darkpaw. "I see." She mewed. Suddenly, she heard something in the bushes nearby. At first she though it was a stray piece of prey but then she heard a muffled, "Be quiet! I'm trying to listen!" She knew it was her kits. "What is that?" Ambereye mewed. An explosion of giggles started up. Cola sighed. "My kits." She replied. Darkpaw smiled. "I didn't know you had kits!" "Tangerine, Cobalt, Firefly, come out right now." They sprang from the bush running straight into Cola. "Umph!" Ambereye tried the kits off of Cola. "Kits, tell Amberye you're sorry for spying on her." The kits looked at the ground, embarrassed. "Sorry." They muttered in Unison. "It's fine." Ambereye mewed. Cola sighed. "Oh thank goodness." - Cola

Swiftshadow yawned. Her kits were busy. Hawkflame was on dawn patrol, Flareflight was playing with him and Swallowspots' new kits, and Ambereye had gone somewhere to be alone with Darkpaw. *Ambereye and Darkpaw*. Swiftshadow was glad Hawkflame had stopped pestering Crookedflower, and Flareflight had found happiness with Swallowspots... yet... Swiftshadow wasn't too sure about Ambereye and Darkpaw. What if Darkpaw was taken again? Would her daughter be able to stand it? Swiftshadow sighed. -Swiftshadow

Ambereye and Darkpaw were on sunhigh patrol earlier that day. Hawkflame and Breezenight were with them. The tall trees seemed to be making Darkpaw nervous. In RiverClan, the trees are shorter and less sway-y." Breezenight looked at him. "Then you're welcome to go back to where you came from then." he muttered. Ambereye glared at him. Suddenly, a huge tree leaned over and fell. Ambereye heard a screech, and then her yowl was drowned out by the deafening roar of splintering wood. Then Ambereye saw the worst- *the tree had fallen onto Hawkflame!* "No!" she hissed. Breezenight and Darkpaw hoisted the tree up and Ambereye dragged him out. The three cats carried him back to camp. Birdpaw and Juniperpaw began inspecting the unconscious tom. "I... I don't think we can save him." Birdpaw stuttered. She was obviously terrified. "The tree crushed his chest... There are no herbs to fix somthing like that..." Ambereye sobbed before her dying brother. Suddenly, he spoke. "Get Crookedflower..." he rasped. Breezenight dashed out of the den and came back with Hawkflame's love. "Hawkflame!" she gasped. "I'm... I'm so sorry." Hawkflame blinked sadly. "Please." This time, Crookedflower let him wrap his tail around hers for his dying moments. She leaned closer to him, and whispered somthing that Ambereye couldn't make out. "Crookedflower.... I love you." Hawkflame choked. He took a deep huge breath. The entire medicine den waited for the next one to come... but it never came. -Ambereye

That night was the vigil for Hawkflame. Now wise to the ways of the clans, Cola kept quiet as she watched the cats silently grive for their fallen friend. Cola could feel regrets pooing in. She wished she had gotten to know Hawkflame better. He had seemed like a good cat. "Mama?" Cobalt asked. "Why are they so sad? What happened?" "A warrior died earlier today." Cola answered. "Died?" Tangerine asked, tears pooling in her eyes. "Why should you care?" Firefly was lazing on her rock again. "Why don't you care? A cat died. I would be sad no matter who it was!" Tangerine muttered indignantly. She flung her tail up and simply stated. "I'm gonna sit vigil with them." Cola didn't protest. As she watched Tangerine take a place near Darkpaw, Cobalt tried to join her. "No, Tangerine need to do this by herself." Cola whispered, half to herself. That was when Cola realized, she and her kits belonged here. They were ready to stay. - Cola.

Sprite could never sleep that night, her dreams had been filled with sorrow and that made her sad. She had jumped on the fence later. And thought to herself aloud. “How could she say that....” the memery kept rolling through her brain like a nightmare that went on forever. *"Oh but we do! This cat named Ambereye came by with kits and we agreed to adopt them. Her mate Nutstreak decided to stay with us."* Cola had said when her sister, Cola had visited. *Does that mean, I really am rightfully a forest cat? My mother sold us? Why? I need answers! From Nutstreak, but how would I tell him? Act innocent of course! After all. I am and apprentices age after all he says.* Then she sneaked over to where Nutstreak had slept with Sunrise, and he moaned and then saw her. “What’s wrong Sprite?” She yawned, “follow me.” She whispered as she then went back on the fence, followed by Nutstreak. “What?” He stretched. “Did you ever..... meet, any forest she-cats?” Sprite asked. Nutstreak smiled. “Yes, the most beautiful she cat I have ever seen in my life, Ambereye, I mean, we were good mates and loved each other much.... i was friends with her brothers Flareflight and Hawkflame. I hope they’re okay. I mean WillowClan is t too far from here.” *I’m sorry Nutstreak, I wish I could tell you, I know your my father, my real father because of Pepsi.* “Okay, you can sleep again. I want to watch some more.” She mewed with a fake smile as Nutstreak padded off. *Okay, I need to return home. To my real home, In WillowClan with my mother. Surely she has a reason to have given me and my siblings to Pepsi and West. Right?” —SPRITE*

​Rainsplash new her kits would come. And she sighed with sorrow and sadness. *Why’re you sad? Come on my love! We’re having kits!* Rainsplash growled. *No. I’m having your kits! You know. The ones that belong to the dead man? Remember? What could I tell them.... Your brother is onto me! And not in a good way! I have to lie! What if Nutstreak was my late mate? Wouldn't that work? No, he‘s dead too... I’ll have to make a cat up.* —Rainsplash

​Crookedflower grieved for Hawkflame, not as much as Ambereye or Flareflight. She was sad, but Sproutstripe always cheered her up. She liked his company. Way more than Hawkflames. —Crookedflower

Hawkflame felt light, and painless. He was still in the medicine den though. Breezenight, Ambereye, Crookedflower, and the apprentices were leaning over a body... HIS body. Hawkflame sighed. "Crookedflower never saw the real me... I can't go to StarClan yet!" the starry cats weaved around Hawkflame. He recognized Willowstar, Branchheart, Moondust, and even the legendary Cloudygaze. Strangely, he didn't see Nutstreak. "Time to join us, Hawkflame." Meowed Willowstar. "Do not worry. Your kin lives on." Hawkflame's heart leaped with joy. "Does that mean Crookedflower is having kits?" he purred. Cloudygaze rolled her eyes. "No, silly. Hazelkit and Featherkit are your kin, and Ambereye just moved to the nursery. Also, Swiftshadow and Brambleheart are expecting their second litter." Hawkflame's tail drooped. "I can't go to StarClan yet!" he gasped. "Please. Send me back. Crookedflower needs to see the real me." Willowstar narrowed her eyes. "You had plenty of chances to show her." she hissed. "Be carful what you wish for." Suddenly, Hawkflame's vision was blocked. He felt like he was falling, falling, falling, into a deep abyss. He couldn't see or hear anything. Not even smell. Then all feeling was wiped from him, and he forgot everything. -Hawkflame

Ambereye purred with delight. She was sitting with her mother in the nursery. "We are both expecting our second batch of kits, aren't we, Ambereye?" Swiftshadow mewed. Ambereye growled. "No. This is my first batch of my REAL kits. The other kits were created against my will. They are not mine." Swiftshadow sighed. "If you say so." Darkpaw, Brambleheart, and Flareflight walked into the den. "These kits will all be kin!" Purred Ambereye's father. "Hazelkit and Featherkit are growing fast." Flareflight yawned. "They ask for badger rides nearly everyday and make my back sore. Brambleheart, why didn't you tell me that being a father is so tiring?" Darkpaw laughed. "Me and Ambereye have been talking about names." he meowed. "Ambereye SOMEHOW seems to know that there will be four kits." Ambereye grinned. "Mother's intuition!" Darkpaw batted her playfully. "Anyways, I come from a place where there are four, technically five, Clans. So we want to name them after the four Clans. Thunderkit, Shadowkit, Windkit, and Riverkit. Well, if there ARE four kits." Ambereye purred. "I promise you there are four. If there isn't, then I won't eat for a moon!" Darkpaw's face turned serious. "No! Come on, really? Our kits need milk. You must eat!" Ambereye rolled her eyes. "Whatever." *As long as Darkpaw is here, I will always be happy. -Ambereye*

Sprite has kept pacing through the forest, she had scented whta nutstreak has smelled like all the way through the forest (Rainsplash’s scent when she took a walk earlier) the she halted as she heard distant voices, “No! Come on, really! Our kits need milk. You must eat!” Then she looked through the bush to see a gray cat, two black and white dappled cats, a gray spotted cat with two ginger kittens, and dark toms. then she had slipped on a root and fell into the den with all eyes staring at her. “Um....” she mewed as her heart ached. “Hello, I’m Sprite.” —Sprite

"Sprite!" Tangerine yelled, happily. "You came!" Cobalt bowled Sprite over. "Sprite can you play with me! Hazelkit and Feather kit are boringggg." Tangerine complained. "No way! She's gonna play with me first!" The pair leaped at each other and became a tussling ball of fur. Sprite looked over-whelmed. Firefly walked over to Sprite. "Ignore my over-enthusiastic littermates. Why are you here? Is something wrong?" - Tangerine and the Kits

”oh, um..... I just Uh,” Sprite shuddered. “I came, to. Um.... just got adventurous, I guess...” she paused as she saw the gray she-cats expression change to fear. “Are, are you okay?” Sprite asked. —Sprite

Ambereye stared at the new kit. She knew this kit's name: Sprite. Pepsi and West had named her after she had been given to them by Ambereye and Nutstreak. "No..." Ambereye whispered. She was never supposed to see this kit again. Darkpaw wasn't supposed to know this kit existed. It hurt Ambereye even more when the kit asked, "Are you my mother?" -Ambereye

Swiftshadow stared at the kit. Then she looked at Ambereye. "Yes." Ambereye mewed slowly. "I am your mother, Sprite." Swiftshadow was shocked. "You said you and Nutstreak's kits died!" she hissed. Ambereye nodded. "I did say that." the brown and gray kit had it's eyes wide in shock. "B...but you can't be my mother!" she gestured to Darkpaw. "Because he isn't my father! Nutstreak is! But he got another mate too..." Ambereye shook her head. "You aren't supposed to be here, Sprite. Go back to your father." The kit looked hurt. "My father doesn't care about me! All he cares about is Sunrise!" Ambereye had a twisted expression on her face. "Sprite, I hate to say this, but you won't be cared about any more by me either. The only kits I care about are my unborn ones." Tears filled the kit's eyes. "Well I'm sorry I came here then!" Suddenly, a darker brown kit raced out of the undergrowth. "Sprite! You met the forest cats? Did you find our mother?" Sprite growled. "The forest cats are mean, and our mother has a new mate and doesn't want us! Let's go home, Pepper." The two kits raced home. Ambereye looked sad. Darkpaw was trying to comfort her. "It's alright. It wasn't your fault. Don't be guilty. I still love you. I always will." Swiftshadow twined tails with Brambleheart, feeling pity for her daughter. Ambereye had been through so many things... but she still had a mate who loved her. Just like Flareflight. And... Swiftshadow sighed. *I thought that Hawkflame would get Crookedflower eventually... but he.. oh Hawkflame...* Swiftshadow gazed up at the stars, trying to see which one was him. But there didn't seem to be any more stars than before Hawkflame had died. -Swiftshadow

Rainsplash entered the nursery quietly, in the middle of the conversation everyone was having but then silenced it. Brambleheart looked terrified. “Ugh! Could you stop looking at me like that! Your stupid fur all of a brother did this to me!” She snapped. Brambleheart was shocked now. “Hawktalon? He, but he” Rainsplash sighed, come outside with me, NOW.” Then they did. Rainsplash told Brambleheart the truth, and that she was never his mate, but would never tell him how she had liked his company. “Oh, so, so.... they really are my kin and, his kits?” The tabby tom asked. “Yes! Now leave me alone!” Then Rainsplash stormed off into the nursery, followed by the two medicine apprentices. —Rainsplash

later That day, Sprite sneaked out of her household, but this time would never return. Never. Knowing that she was meant to be a wild cat, she knew that’s were she has to be. But she had to do this alone. Not even her REAL family cared enough to stop her from joining another clan, NOT WILLOWCLANe, that was were her own REAL mother didn’t even want her as much as Nutstreak never cared about her. She had thought of the perfect climate that would be good for her but had no ideas, she just couldn’t stop thinking about her supposing CARING family. Pepsi had never really given Sprite much attention nor did West. And now knowing that her real parents didn’t care.... she would always feel unloved and misguided. And most of all.......Alone. As Sprite stumbled about through the woods, she had seen a shadow of too, moving? But she knew it was just some leaves in the breeze or something.... Right? Until four cats leaped out of the bushes, but these didn’t smell like WillowClan at all. “Halt! Why are you trespassing on ThornClan territory!” The big red tom hissed. Followed by another red tom, a tabby tom, and a calico she-cat. “I, I need to pass through! I need to find one of the forest clans to join! I need to, my, my family has no cares anyways....” then the calico leaped up. “Forest Clans you say? To join? Well, ThornClan is a great place to start young kit! Don't ya think Talonthorn? Redfang? Snakestripe?” Then the big red tom then meowed. “We will have to see what Shadowstar says about it. She may accept this one as her own. After all, her kits are this one’s age.” And so the group had taken Sprite back to their camp, *maybe to a better foster mother that would always care about me, not like my other two would. Sprite thought with a smile. —Sprite*

Shadowstar was in her leaders den as usual with her kit Falconkit. She was happy to be leader, and a little worried about her clan, and all the cats in it, about the future. But as soon as she got up, Falconkit yawned and mewed, “momma, were are you going?” And Shadowstar whispered, “don’t worry my love, I will be right back, Momma has to go check on her clan and will return shortly, so please go back to sleep.” And so Falconkit buried his head in his paws. Then Shadowstar he’d padded up on the Tall Rock, where she gave announcements to her clan. Even though she became the leader a few moons ago. Then the dawn border patrol had returned, Shadowstar had counted. “Talonthorn, Sorrelsplash, Snakestripe, Redfang...... Who’s that?” She muttered. ”Shadowstar, we request your attention, privately.” Talonthorn mewed. then Shadowstar leaped off of the Tall Rock and then padded up to Talonthorn, Sorrelsplash, and the new kit. “Who is this?” She asked. Before Sorrelsplash could speak, the kit mewed. “I am Sprite, and I want to join your clan!” And then Shadowstar purred with amusement. “What would your mother say, young one?” And at that note, Shadowstar knew she hit a nerve by the kit flinching. “My mother and father had never bothered to care about me anyways, they, they........ They just never wanted me anyways...” Sprite sighed. “Oh, why, that’s horrible.... you know what? ThornClan shall take you in with open paws, I shall be your new mother. I am Shadowstar. Leader of ThornClan.” —Shadowstar

!now tell me, ‘Sprite’, we’re do you come from?” Shadowstar asked. “Twolegplace.” Sprite said horsely. “Oh, my... ive always suspected that Kittypets never cared about their cats and their kittens! Letting Twolegs take them away....” Sprite sighed. “Well, I have a son you know. Falconkit is a great little tom, looks like his father, Hawktalon. And me.” Shadowstar mewed as she picked Sprite up by the scruff and delivered her into her den. “Falconkit, your sister is here!” She mewed, then the white and brown tom kit looked up sleepily, “What? I thought I was an only child? Okay, that would be way more fun. What’s her name?” He yawned and stretched, Shadowstar flinched, “I, shall call her Mintkit. If that is okay with her?” Shadowstar mewed, Sprite smiled, “that’s perfect.” She mewed, then she had played with her new sibling Falconkit. —Mintkit

The salt-and-pepper warrior lay in the local sleeping quarters with his head resting on his paws, ears angled backwards out of uncertainty as he pondered his next move. Shadowchaser, as a new addition, wasn't one for socializing. He found himself ok around the warriors of equal rank, but the leader and deputy? Terrifying. He hated how he found himself riddled with anxiety. He longed to fit in and be comfortable underneath his own flesh, but he was incapable of doing so. He needed friends, but that required conversations, which required going out in the open, which would cause everyone to look at him...it all seemed *so* terrifying! Drawing in a deep breath, the wolfish Shadowchaser pulled his tail in closer to his body, as if it was some sort of security blanket, so that he could wrap it tightly around his side and forepaws.  **-- Shadowchaser**

((Tossing Ashpaw onto the WillowClan border, if anyone would like to discover her)) She couldn't remember anything, not even her own name. She had been wandering aimlessly across land unknown to her for days, hiding from strangers and attempting to get her bearings straight. The lost adolescent had listened into conversations, heard of strange names with random prefixes and suffixes. So, she decided to call herself Ashpaw. From what she had overheard, this land belonged to a group known as "WillowClan". The rosetted feline found independence to be far too overwhelming, so she found that it would be in her best interests to join a group, in hopes that she might discover what she had long forgotten. **--Ashpaw**

Muddypaw had been a member of WillowClan for...well, a few days, he lost count in all honesty. He was adjusting to the significantly calmer pace of WillowClan and slowly yet surely becoming a little less...paranoid. He feared that ScarClan would be breathing down his throat, prepared to make him regret his choice of fleeing. Above all things else, he was afraid of what he might become himself, and how his new home might think of him. A monster? Murderer? Code-breaking foxheart? *I'll do whatever it takes, I*will*be a good warrior, and nothing like my ScarClan family.* It was a bold vow, but unfortunately for Muddypaw, potentially one he might not be capable of upholding. In an attempt to make himself relax more, the apprentice stretched himself in front of the fresh kill pile with a lazy yawn. **-- Muddypaw**

Later that day, Cola went up to Skystar and simply declared, "We're ready to join Willowclan.""Will you be renaming the kits?" Skystar meowed. "Yes." Cola replied. "Tangerine will be Morningkit, Cobalt will just be Cobaltkit, and Firefly will be Maplekit. And, if it's okay, I would prefer to keep my name." "Of course." Skystar said. Then she smiled at her. "I'm really happy your joining, your kits will be a wonderful edition to the clan." Cola bowed her head and walked off to tell her kits the news. However, she only saw Maplekit. "Where's Cobalt and Tangerine?" Cola meowed urgently. "They went to look for sprite." Maplekit answered. - Cola

Tangerine trudged through the woods, Cobalt at her side. "Why does it have to be so cold?" Cobalt chattered. "It is not that cold! You just have a thin coat like mom." Tangerine snapped, the cold had left her more irritated then usual. When her mother had left, she had declared that she was gonna look for Sprite. "She could be hurt! Besides, Just because Ambereye didn't want her doesn't mean that no one in the clan would. Maybe Mom would take her in!" Tangerine had said. Coablt had bravely volunteered to join and the pair went off, hoping to find Sprite before it got dark. However, this was not to be. The warrior of starclan soon glittered in the sky, and the whole forest grew dark. "Sprite!" Tangerine and Cobalt called, trying to ignore the impending darkness. "Spri- Ahhhhhh!" Cobalt's yell was cut off as he fell into a dark hole. "OWW!" He yowled. "Cobalt? Are you okay?" Tangerine asked. "My- My leg!" Cobalt answered. "Hold on! I'll find help!" And with that Tangerine dashed off into the woods. - Tangerine

The newcomer had moved from the side of the fresh kill pile to just outside camp's entrance, in hopes that he could catch a few rays of sun. The last time he'd been willing to leave camp had been two days ago, and "willing" wans't exactly the correct word. More or less, he'd been forced out, order to go hunting so that he could improve his skills and become a sharper hunter. He wasn't keen on leaving camp, in fear that he might come face-to-face with a ScarClan merc sent to hunt him down. So far...he'd been lucky. No sign of any trailers- he might just get to leave his past behind, as he'd been hoping to. However, before Muddypaw could drift back into a relaxed state, he heard the faintest of cries in the depths of the woods, causing his fur to stand on end. He was yet to be on good terms with any of his clanmates yet, so he was incapable of recognizing what voice belonged to who. What cat was out there? Was it...a ScarClan cat? Had they found him?! **-- Muddypaw**

Rainsplash has had her kits, finally it was all over. Her heart ached and her body had hurt. “Ripplekit.” She answered Birdpaw’s question for the male kit’s name. “And the female?” She asked. Rainsplash thought hard, the gray tabby kit squeaked. “Dewkit.” She gasped. “Great job Rainsplash.” Swiftshadow muttered. Swallowspots had also congratulated her. *Ripplekit and Dewkit, that sounds VERY water like.* Hawktalon mewed. *Oh hush! I wouldn’t name them after birds like yours! That would probably give them away! Plus they look more like me, which is good.* Hawktalondidn’t respond.—**Rainsplash**

Shadowstar yawned, she had left her den, leaving her two kits to rest. Especially Mintkit. She needed to rest. she also had began to hunt. Alone, as usual. And the she heard a small voice of a kit. *What in all of StarClan?* She raised a brow. Then the ginger tabby she-kit had popped out of the bush. “Please! You need to help us!” She shrieked. “What has happened?” Shadowstar asked. “It’s my brother! He hurt his leg in a ditch! I can’t get him out!” And then the kit led her to the tortoiseshell tom Kit. Shadowstar had picked him up by the scruff. “Which clan do you belong to?” She asked. “Um, WillowClan?” The tabby she-kit mewed. Then the group had returned to WillowClan. As Shadowstar entered, all of the cats hissed and spat at her. “Relax! She meowed. I request a private audience with Skystar and her deputy, and maybe the medicine cat.” —**Shadowstar**

Ambereye sighed. "I feel so bad about what I said to Sprite." she told Darkpaw. Darkpaw caressed her tail. "Sprite was a curious kit. She will forget all about this in a moon or two. And I'm sure Nutstreak DOES care about her, and she was just being dramatic. Kits do these sorts of things." Ambereye nodded. "I guess..." Darkpaw's eyes shone. "I'm so glad I found my way back to you." he purred. "I'm so glad you can bear my kits." Ambereye twined tails with him, like she had done so many other times before. She felt a lurching pain in her stomach and gasped. Darkpaw jumped. "Are they coming?" Ambereye shook her head. "Soon, but not today." Darkpaw sighed with relief. "Flareflight was right. being a father IS stressful." Ambereye purred in amusement. "They haven't even been born yet!" Darkpaw wrapped his front paws around his mate's neck. "And you are still sure there are four of them?" Ambereye's ears twitched. "Positive." The two cats stared up at the stars for a while. "Which one do you think is Hawkflame?" Darkpaw asked. Ambereye sighed. "I'm not sure. I know the one for Willowstar is the brightest, and the ones for Branchheart and Moondust are below it..." Ambereye named the fallen warriors of WillowClan, and where their places were in the sky. "But I just can't see where Hawkflame's star is. There doesn't seem to be any more." Darkpaw yawned. "I'm sure he is watching over you and Flareflight." he mewed. "Let's go inside." As Ambereye followed her mate in, she couldn't stop thinking about where Hawkflame was. -**Ambereye**

Rainsplash sighed, she heard the dawn patrol being called now, she had wished she could go and hunt alone, but she needed to be with her kits. Dewkit and Ripplekit, the only other cats she had cared more than anything. She sighed, last night the thornclan leader had entered camp with Cobaltkit, who was once called cobalt, and with Morningkit, or Tangerine, behind her. And the thought of that she-cat being Hawktalon’s mate had shook her to the core, both she-cats did look alike, but Shadowstar made Rainsplash feel horror in her bones, she knew she could never really have a full on conversation with her former mentor, *you know what?* She thought. *I’d really like an apprentice, perhaps some of the new kits would show to be great for me,* and so, she fell into a deep sleep of shattered dreams.—Rainsplash

Sunrise and Nutstreak both had sat on the fence. Talking wile their kits were being nurtured by the twolegs. “Oh Nutstreak, I hope Sprite is okay. I mean, she hasn’t come back in a while.” Sunrise meowed. Nutstreak just sighed, “she should have never met her real mother, this would never have happened if I hadnt did this to Ambereye.” And Sunrise enwinded tails with him. “I’ve also thought about something, I’ve thought long and hard.” She paused to see Nutstreaks nod of approval to tell him. *Please don’t get mad at me!* She preyed to the stars above, “I want to raise our kits like wild cats, Nutstreak, I want them to grow up as forest cats in a clan like you were.”—Sunrise

Cola began frantically licking Morningkit. "Ow! Mom stop it! That hurts!" Morningkit complained. "Don't ever run away again." Cola meowed. Morningkit looked at the ground. "I won't... It's just, I wanted to know what happened to Sprite. But on the way to Camp, Shadowstar told me. Sprite has joined Thornclan. She's Mintkit now." Morningkit spat. "I can't believe she did that! I though she wanted to join Willowclan." Cobaltkit lay resting his leg nearby. Stromstreak had said he simply pulled a muscle and the confusion had made it hurt more. "Oh come on Morningkit! You shouldn't care about her if she just left you like that." He meowed. "You sound like Maplekit." Morningkit declared before walking out. She spotted Shadowstar nearby. "Um... Hi again." Morningkit said. "Would you mind saying Hi to Spri- I mean Mintkit for me? Tell her, Tell her, I miss her." "Of course." Shadowstar replied. Cola sighed. Morningkit was to clingy. Probably, she would be thinking about Mintkit for a long time. - Cola

Pepper perked her ears. Sunrise and Nutstreak were going into the forest. They had said many things about a place called 'CaveClan' and wanted to go there. *My destiny is to be a forest cat.* Pepper thought. *Pepsi and West have my brothers. They will be fine without me.* Pepper followed Sunrise and Nutstreak all the way to CaveClan. There, she was given a new name, Berrykit. Nutstreak kept his name, as did Sunrise. *And so begins my new life.* -**Pepper**

Ambereye's kits were due in only a moon! Oh how excited she was! Soon, her and Darkpaw would have their own kits! Their own kits to raise in WillowClan! Ambereye spent every second of every day with Darkpaw. It was nearly impossible to catch her alone. Suddenly, a rustle came from the entrance. Ambereye whirled around. No! It was the RiverClan cats who had kidnapped Darkpaw! Darkpaw looked terrified. "Ashleaf! Lilacbreeze! Don't even try! I'm staying here. I travelled for moons and moons, got trapped in a Twoleg den, attacked by foxes and dogs, just to get back here." Lilacbreeze frowned. "Why did you want to come back here so badly? Why not just go home to your family, and our birth Clan?" Darkpaw twined tails with Ambereye. "Look around." he hissed. Ashleaf eyed Ambereye, and then looked at Darkpaw. "Kits." he said. "You got a mate here, and now she has kits." Darkpaw nodded. Lilacbreeze looked pitiful. "I'm sorry." she mewed. "I would do anything to get back to my mate and kits." Ashleaf nodded. "Our work here is done. Goodbye, Darkpaw." The two cats left without another word. Ambereye embraced her mate. "You're safe!" -**Ambereye**

Montkit opened her eyes to see Shadowstar enter their den. Falconkit was in a deep sleep, *probably til sunhigh*. She thought rolling her eyes. “Where’d you go?” She asked her mother. “Hunting.” She replied, “until I caught a couple of WillowClan kits squabbling about a broken leg, both told me to tell you they missed you. Morningkit and Cobaltkit, I beleive. Do you have any thoughts of leaving this clan?” Shadowstar meowed. “No, not after what experience I had with my real clan mother, she told me that I was never meant to come back, never meant to have been near her ever.” Mintkit trailed off. “Well,the gathering is tomorrow and I am planning on making you, your brother, Beatlekit, Hollykit, Foxkit, and Rosekit, apprentices as moonrise’s before we leave tonight, so that wile I leave, you could take a tour of the ThornClan territory.” Shadowstar purred and nudged Falconkit awake. “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Let me sleeeeeeeeeeep, pleeeeeeeeee.” He blurted and borrowed his closed eyes. “Falconkit! We’re gonna be apprentices tonight!” Mintkit tried. Falconkit bolted up with a squeak of supprise, “REALLY! When! Oh wait....... this is a trick to wake me up isn't it?” Falconkit frowned. “No son, it’s true. Ebonyberry and Hayleap’s kits too.” Shadowstar meowed with muse. Then Falconkit whispered into Mintkit’s ear, “let’s ask to play with them in our last day!” He mewed, then Mintkit said, “can we go and play with them wile we’re still kits?” And as Shadowstar nodded, the two had bolted out of the leaders den and into the nursery to find two queens, one had her four kits.—Mintkit

Crookedflower was sent on the morning hunt with Brackenleaf, Sproutstripe, and Mistystream, before the gathering tonight, and she had a long talk with Sproutstripe about how funny it was to see the kits fight and play. Almost making her think of when she would have kits. —Crookedflower

“you know, the kits are close to being apprentice aged,” Borage meowed to Cola. “I know.....” she meowed. “I wish it could go on forever though.....” she trailed off, “that’s what I wanted too. I had always worried about Crookedflower, due to her crooked jaw, that is.” She smiled. “The gathering’s tonight, or that’s what Sprucefall thinks anyway, I think I might attend and talk to Frostfang about life, if he wants to talk to me anyway....” she meowed. Hazelkit and Featherkit were about three moons, Cobaltkit, Morningkit, and Maplekit were about five, if not, six. But Borage new she needed to reason to Frostfang why she left, she had to introduce her kits. Then she entered Skystars den, “Skystar,” she meowed. “I want all five of my kits to attend the gathering with me, it’s time they meet their real father.” —Borage

"Ambereye, we should both stay home for the gathering tonight." Darkpaw mewed sternly. "You are getting close to having your kits." Ambereye giggled. "whyyyyyyyy." she purred. The suspense of having Darkpaw's kits had begun to make her loopy. "Don't worry." Darkpaw said. "Flareflight is going, and he can tell you all about it." Darkpaw nudged his mate. "Besides, you won't be alone. Swiftshadow, Cola, and Swallowspots are staying as well." Ambereye rolled over, exposing her swollen belly. "I'm not tired." she stated stubbornly. Darkpaw sighed. "Sleep." Ambereye frowned, but curled up in her moss bed and closed her eyes. "My stomach hurts." she mumbled. "I can get you poppy seed." Darkpaw offered. He went to the medicine den, but by the time he returned with the medicine, his mate was fast asleep. Darkpaw chuckled. "I love you, Ambereye." he curled up beside her belly. "Thunderkit, Shadowkit, Windkit, and Riverkit. Soon you will be born. You will have great parents that love you dearly." he felt slightly stupid for talking to Ambereye's stomach, but he didn't care. These were their kits. -**Darkpaw**

“And Rainsplash!” Rainsplash sighed and rolled her eyes as Darkpaw left the nursery. Dewkit and Ripplekit were about the same age as Hazelkit and Featherkit, so Rainsplash could expect them to be apprentices together. She sighed. “How do you feel?” She asked Ambereye, she knew she needed to actually make friends, not foes. And she knew that Hawktalon was watching her, “I mean, it felt really weird having a first litter....” *That I actually wanted....* she finished in her head. Swallowspots yawned, “yeah, how're ya feeling?” —Rainsplash

"Skystar's gonna make us apprentices? *Maplekit meowed. "Yes." Cola meowed. "Yes!" Cobaltkit yelled excitedly. "But my precious pelt! I'll get sand up in it hunting and fighting everyday." Maplekit complained. "Oh come on!" Cobaltkit said. "It'll be fun!" "But I don't want to hurt cats!" Morningkit looked at Cola with sadness in her eye. "I would never forget it. 'Member when I said I would be sad no matter what cat died? I would be crying the whole battle!" Morningkit sighed. Cola looked at her kit, there was a real problem happening here. "I'll be back kits." Cola walked up to Skystar who was coming in from a hunting patrol. "Hello, so you see," Cola explained Morningkit's problem. "What do I do?" - ​Cola*

“Ugh, I guess being apprentices would be fun......” Maplekit started, “if we had the chance to make our own choices and not follow a mentor around.” She finished. “Speaking of mentors...... I’m definitely gonna get Skystar as my mentor! And I could get anything I want!” She meowed with pride, “you don’t know that!” Cobaltkit hissed. “Well, then I want Rainsplash! She seems experienced......” *But has had some secrets in her time, I believe.* She finished in her head, not to offend the big she-cat when she was close in the nursery. “I can’t wait for Dewkit and Ripplekit, and Hazelkit and Featherkit to be able to play with us!” Morningkit mewed looking at the two dim lumps of fur at Rainsplash’s paws. “We won’t have time to. Well have to be older apprentices. Which means work, work work WORKKK!” Maplekit meowed. *I wish there were any other apprentices we know, except Muddypaw, and maybe Ashpaw, but they are older than us....—***Maplekit (Firefly)**

Ambereye took several painful steps to the nursery. Her kits were coming, and she wasn't feeling good. So far, this was going a lot worse than her first litter. Swiftshadow had kitted Icekit, Sunnykit, and Shrewkit the day before. Her second kitting had gone smoothly, but Ambereye's was off to a bad start. Ambereye moaned in pain. Darkpaw rushed to her side. "Bite on this stick." Ambereye obeyed, but the kitting took AGES. dawn, all four kits had been born. Birdpaw and Juniperpaw looked stricken. "It was a tom..." Birdpaw whispered. One of the tom-kits wasn't breathing. "No!" Ambereye yowled. Juniperpaw pressed lightly on the kit's chest. The kit suddenly sprung to life and coughed. "He's alive!" Darkpaw purred and licked his son. Ambereye studied the kits. "I think we know who's who." she meowed. She prodded a silver she-kit with yellow eyes. "Riverkit." Darkpaw nodded, turning to a black-and-gray she-kit with amber eyes. "Windkit." He then turned to the black yellow-eyed tom who almost died. "Shadowkit." Ambereye gave a slight gasp when she looked at the second tom. He had glowing amber eyes, and light brown fur with darker stripes. "He looks like Hawkflame..." she whispered. "Thunderkit... oh Thunderkit..." Darkpaw purred and licked Ambereye on the cheek. "Our dream has come true. We now have kits of our own." -Ambereye

“And now you shall be called Morningpaw.” Skystar announced. The three kits of Cola had grown into apprentices. FlareFlight had been assigned to Morningpaw, Breezenight was assigned to Maplekit, and Crookedflower was assigned to Cobaltkit. Of course there was a bunch of kits in the WillowClan nursery, in the middle of leaf-fall. It was only a few moments after Ambereye has kitted and now Skystar had announced something else, “now! The gathering starts at Moonhigh and right now is sunfall, so I must assign who will be accompany me to the gathering,,,,, Borage and her kits, Brackenleaf, and Juniperpaw.” She announced, Crookedflower was confused. ”Mother? Why are we coming with you?” She asked, she’d much rather give Cobaltpaw a tour than go to the gathering. “Don’t worry, I will show you.” She whispered. And so Skystar gave the signal and then the cats had raced out of camp. —Crookedflower

“I want Sorrelsplash, Redfang, Snakestripe, Hayleap, my deputy Splinterpelt, my medicine cat Raventail, her apprentice Frostypaw, my apprentice Tumblepaw, and Hayleaps apprentice Cottonpaw, and Bluelily’s apprentice Viperpaw, and Bluelily, to come to the gathering, tonight is the sacred truce! No fighting or arguing!” And then Shadowstar smiled and gave her tail signal, which meant to move out. And they did, heading swiftly through the sharp throned forests to the gathering.—Shadowstar
"Please can we come? We were just made apprentices right? Pleaseeeeee?" Morningpaw begged. Skystar sighed. "Fine." "Yes!" Cobaltpaw and Morningpaw squeaked. Cola looked ta her kit fondly. "Now behave your selves." "Okay, we will!" Morningpaw grinned. Then, Morningpaw and her siblings ran off. "I can't belive we're going to a real gathering!" "I know right!" Maplepaw meowed. *This means I'll see Mintpaw! If she comes.*Finally, things were going Morningpaw's way. - Morningpaw

Thunderkit opened his eyes to all the scents and smells of the world. His littermates gasped, and were excited to finally be introduced to their new lives. Thunderkit couldn't see why they were all so awed. Thunderkit had seen and smelled all this before- or at least he had memories of it. He knew the names of every warrior and apprentice in camp, and he remembered having conversations with them. "Hey Thunderkit!" Windkit called. "COme outside!" Windkit poked him. "Acknowledge me you lazy furball!" the kit yowled. Thunderkit looked at her. "That isn't my name! My name is-" he paused. "What was his name? It wasn't Thunderkit, for sure. Suddenly, a she-cat came into the nursery. "Need any prey, Ambereye?" the cat asked in a sweet, dreamy voice. Thunderkit's fur stood on end. He knew this she-cat's name: Crookedflower! He had loved this she-cat his entire life... but she had rejected him. He had to prove to her that he was worthy enough to be her mate! But why did she seem so... big? Crookedflower has a lot taller. She had been the same size as Thunderkit last he remembered. Actually, why were ALL the warriors so big? No! Thunderkit was small! He used to be the same size as the warriors! And who were these other kits saying they were his littermates? And why was his sister saying she was his mother? "What happened to me?!" Thunderkit yowled. -Thunderkit

Cola sighed. Her kits were growing up so fast. Ambereye was playing with her kits in the corner. Thunderkit looked worried. Cola padded over to him. *What's wrong?" "He won't tell me." Ambereye said. "All I got out of him was somthing about everycat being so big." Cola looked closely at Thunderkit.* Could he be... No. *Cola shook that thought from her head. Cola padded back to her nest. Willowclan was full of mysterious things. Maybe that was how clans worked. She missed her kits rolling about in the dirt and the feel of them by her side. She didn't want to be a warrior, she wanted to help other queens raise their kits, if not have more of her own. Whether she had more kits of not, her first litter would always have a place in her heart. - Cola*

Thunderkit paced the camp, mostly following after Crookedflower. When she asked why he was chasing her, Thunderkit told her that he had to prove his worthiness to her. The white she-cat looked confused, and just walked off. "Does nobody remember me!?" Thunderkit yowled. "What is this place?" He whirled around to face Ambereye. "You are not my mother, and Darkpaw isn't my father!" Ambereye looked hurt. "Then who is?" she asked. "Swiftshadow and Brambleheart! You are my sister! How could you forget me? I'm not a kit!" Ambereye's eye widened. "Are you..." Thunderkit's eyes filled with tears. "I don't remember my name, or why I'm suddenly a kit, but I know my relatives, and I know my purpose!" Ambereye nodded. "I need to speak with Darkpaw. And Flareflight. Oh, and my parents." -Thunderkit

"I promise you, it's Hawkflame!" Ambereye yowled. She was behind the nursery, having a heated conversation with Darkpaw, Flareflight, Swiftshadow, and Brambleheart. Flareflight shook his head. "I'm sorry Ambereye, it's impossible. Hawkflame is dead. Thunderkit is not Hawkflame. You are probably just missing him and you are imagining it." Ambereye glared at him. "He looks like Hawkflame. And have you seen the way he looks at Crookedflower? He follows her around just like Hawkflame did!" Swiftshadow nodded. "I understand that Thunderkit is acting weird, but kits play games. This is his game." Ambereye growled. "You don't understand! Darkpaw believes me!" Darkpaw nodded. "I can see why Ambereye would think Thunderkit is Hawkflame, but it's just... impossible. A new cat simply just can't be an old one." Ambereye sighed. "Even my own mate!" -Ambereye

Ripplekit yawned as he has finally caught a glimpse of the forest, he yawned a little but then he saw another kit, the size of him? What was this place? He yawned even more until he saw a brown tom kit staring at him, he then meowed, or squeaked, “hi!” And that made him stretch, “look! My kit has woken up! It’s his first time he’s opened his eyes!” the she-cat staring over him meowed with pride, “Ripplekit, I’m your mother, and that’s your sister, and that tom before you is Thunderkit. One of Ambereye’s kits! Welcome to WillowClan!” She purred, *Mother?* Ripplekit wanted to squeeze her so hard and never let go, but he also wanted to explore, before Dewkit awoke. And so, he then pounced onto Thunderkit, in a playful way of course, and then the two started to play fight, “making friends so soon? The white she-cat purred. —Ripplekit

Mintpaw galloped through the thorns as she was sent off into the woods of ThornClan with her mentor Redfang and she was closely followed by Talonthorn and Falconpaw, “now, disperse until we come and get you, this is your first hunting test to show us how you should learn.” Talonthorn snarled, and then the two apprentices raced off, Falconpaw towards the lake, and Mintpaw towards the thunderpath. —Mintpaw

Thunderkit sighed. Nobody believed that he wasn't Thunderkit. He tried his hardest to remember his real name, but he just couldn't. His last memory was faint, of a she-cat saying, 'be carful what you wish for'. And then there was darkness. And then, he was here, where everyone believed he was a different cat. "Why..." He thought of more memories. He was son a patrol with his sister, who now claimed to be his mother, and his sister's mate, who claimed to be his father. Breezenight was also there. It was a windy day. Then there was a tree... pain shot through Thunderkit's system. He shuddered. He remembered it as if it was a moon ago. Maybe it was. That was some of the last moments of his other life. -Thunderkit

The gathering was over. As Willowclan headed back to camp, Morningpaw glanced around in vain for Mintkit. She noticed Shadowstar close by. "Hey have you seen-" "No I have not." Shadowstar answered. "Look, Mintpaw doesn't care about you. You need to stop bothering to look for her. She never talks about you at camp, she never looks for you anywhere. Get this into your head. She doesn't care about you." The words stung Morningpaw like an angry bee. Shadowstar padded off. "At least tell her I said hi! Okay?..." Morningpaw tried. *She doesn't care about you... Never talks about you at camp...*Morningpaw just stood there tremebling. Maplepaw ran up to her. "Hey sis! It's time to go! *"Oh.. Okay." Morningpaw hung behind the group as they walked home.* Mintpaw cares about me... Right? *- Morningpaw*

Mintpaw ran up to Shadowstar and purred, “Hello little one.” She purred back. “How was the tour?” She then asked. “Oh very good! how was the gathering?” Mintpaw then asked. “Oh, boring as usual. Now, please select one of the prey! We must start the celebration of the apprenticeship ceremony.” And so Shadowstar had padded off. *Hmmm, that was weird. I wonder what happened, I winder if Maplekit and Morningkit, and Cobaltkit are okay, I bet I crushed their hearts, but I couldn’t join WillowClan with a mother who hates me! She never even wanted me to live! And she’d rather sell me to some lazy Kittypets who let twolegs take their kits away! They should understand by now, I can’t return, and that we‘re rivals, different clan things! They should know.* Suddenly clouds surrounded the sky, swirling into a dark gray cotton blanket shielding the sky from the grounds below. *This is where I belong.* She thought as she took a breath and a cool breeze ruffled her fur. —Mintpaw

Rainsplash still felt tired, *Why?* She thought as she saw Dewkit playing with Featherkit and Thunderkit, and Riverkit. “Be careful!” She yowled as Thunderkit crashed hard into Dewkit. “he has a warriors strength already!” She snarled as she drew her kits closer to her. “Awww! Come on they’re just playing Rainsplash! Featherkit is enjoying it!” Swallowspots chirped. Rainsplash glared, “not when one of your kits gets knocked over” *By a kit with the bloodline of betrayal!* Rainsplash sighed as she finished in her mind. Ripple kit had been at her paws being groomed. “Why does Thunderkit act weird?” He asked. Rainsplash sighed, “you should ask Ambereye or Darkpaw, their his parents.” Rainsplash meowed as she let him go. *Oh my son, How I wish I had better company, like your father. But, you should never believe what had happened, if he lived, you’d never have existed, so then my mate was a StarClan cat!*  Rainsp,ash’s eyes widened, and she felt the familiar aroma of her mate in StarClan pass by in a cold breeze as she then saw snow fall to the ground, as icy as her heart. —Rainsplash

“We need to talk!” Crookedflower hissed to Ambereye. Leaving the queen looking confused. “Wha—“ she started. “Thunderkit has been interfering with EVERYTHING I’ve been doing! He even followed me out into the woods wile I was hunting! He claimed to not be ‘Thunderkit’ and he tries to impress me like a complete maniac! Please take care of this!” She snarled. Amber eye looked lost in thought, staring at her tabby kit. And then without another word, Crookedflower padded out, glaring at Thunderkit as she left. —Crookedflower

Stormstreak padded down the stony hollow and sat down in front of the glittering pool that Willowshine had described. *The Moonpool,* she thought. She lapped some of the water, and felt darkness close in around her. She floated in blackness, her thoughts confused. *Where is StarClan? This is supposed to work!* She squeezed her eyes shut. *Please, StarClan, I need your guidence!* She opened her eyes and tensed in frustration. She was just back at the Moonpool, in the same position she had been in. "Ugh..." Stormstreak muttered, dropping her head. She heard a faint whistleing above her and looked up. A single shooting star crossed the sky, but was soon joined by many others. They swirled down, landing on the walls of the stone hollow. Soon, she was surrounded by the shining ranks of StarClan. A single cat, her fur full of moonlight, stalked toward Stormstreak, her eyes glistening. "Willowstar!" Stormstreak's heart leaped. Her deceased sister, killed by a badger many moons ago, mother of Skystar, was standing in front of her. "Stormstreak. It has been many moons since we last met. You asked for StarClan's guidence." "Yes! WillowClan, it will be destroyed if I can't cure the plague! How do I?!" Willowstar's eyes grew serious. "You must look beyond your rivalries." Stormstreak was confused. "Medicine cats don't have rivalries!" Willowstar looked at her. "Even you have grudges and anger towards other Clans. Unite or die." ((Hawkblossom thinks of a scene in *The First Battle*, using it as her MAJESTIC, IMPOSING phrase, xD)) These words were taken and passed around the other cats of StarClan. "Unite or die." "Unite or die." "Unite or die" Stormstreak tensed. "HuH? What do you mean?!" Willowstar was starting to fade, along with the rest of StarClan. "Look beyond claws and teeth. Unite, or be destroyed. Embrace what you find in the shadows, for only they can clear the sky." ((Hawkblossom copies YET AGAIN, lol)) -Stormstreak

After convincing himself to finally leave the warrior's den and expose himself to the outside sunlight, Shadowchaser slowly inched his way to the edge of camp to lay down and rest once more. He was going to take it one step at a time with this new life surrounded by scary strangers. He'd attend a patrol if asked without a heartbeat- primarily because he was far too insecure to decline. The wolfish silver-and-black warrior slowly lowered himself to the ground to rest in the shade, keeping hazel eyes on his paws rather than on his busseling clanmates. Eye contact was a challenge. He had no interest in challenging anyone, his only wish was to...fit in. Better yet, *blend* in. **-- Shadowchaser**

as Crookedflower marched out of the nursery with yet again another complaint about Thunderkit, she saw a silver-black tom cat curled up and grooming himself near the entrance of camp in the shadows, and then she cocked her head, *Who was that again? Right! The new warrior! It‘s Shadowchaser right? he looks lonely, maybe I should go and distract myself for a bit.* And so, the white-and-ginger she-cat push herself to pad all the way over to the tom and then she meowed, “hello! I’m Crookedflower! Please don’t be alarmed with my crooked jaw, I mean, it’s hard not to, but most cats have gotten over it! It’s Shadowchaser right?” She asked as he flintched. —Crookedflower (just tryin to get him involved!)

When he was approached by one of the many faces he was yet to familiarize himself with, the tom's instincts willed him to flee from the scene. He shifted his body, pulling his legs closer to his frame before submissively tucking his tail. The warrior wasn't bothered by Crookedflower's strange jaw- it happened, she was simply lucky to be alive. No, he was just unnerved by her approach, as he was with everyone else. There was no knowing what caused him to behave so skittishly around his new family, although perhaps it was that hybridized blood that he carried. While Shadowchaser planned on fleeing, his mother's wisdom and lessons replayed within the back of his mind, a cat he respected more highly than anyone else. *Always be polite to she-cats, Shadow. They are the mother of kits, the backbone of a family. Remember dear, I raised you better.* Swallowing, the tom forced himself to remain put, although he continued to exhibit submissive and flighty body posture. "...Yes, I-I'm who they call Shadowchaser, miss." **--Shadowchaser**
Muddypaw decided to help himself out of camp, meanwhile. He had been hesitant to do so with the threats of ScarClan on his mind, but it was now or never. If he remained stuck inside the apprentice's den for any longer, he'd surely turn into stone. His paws were itching to be put to good use, and he was dying to feel the satisfaction of catching a fat, juicy mouse. Was it wise for Muddypaw to venture out without a warrior? Well, no, but...that didn't stop him. **-- Muddypaw**

Silverspark padded through the undergrowth, her head hanging. "Pinecone... I love you but we can't be mates, all because of those stupid Twolegs! She dashed back to twolegplace to see the love of her life. She sighed. No matter how many times she tried to have kits, it just wouldn't work. The Twolegs had done somthing terrible to Pinecone. *All I want is Pinecone to be my mate, and to have its with him! Is that too much to ask?* All she wanted to do was cry until StarClan took her to a happy place. **-Silverspark**
Cola watched her kits walk into camp. Cobaltpaw and Maplepaw walked over to her. "Cola, the gathering was amazing!" Cobaltpaw said. "We saw all the leaders and everything!" Cola looked over their shoulders. "Why does Morningpaw look so down?" "I don't know, she's just been like that." Cola padded over to her kit. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Nothing that concerns you." Morningpaw spat. Morningpaw stalked out of camp. - **Cola**

Morningpaw stormed out of camp. Life was so unpredicable. One moment it's going your way, the next life was one giant mess. She noticed a mouse sneaking around in the undergrowth. She immediately crept into hunting position. Closer, closer, ***WHAM***. A body leapt at her. "Ouch! Get off!" She yelled. The body scrambled off. She found herself facing another Willowclan apprentice, she couldn't remember his name. He had a brown pelt with spotted patterns. "Oh um... Sorry! I'm Muddypaw. What's your name again?" The apprentice said. "I'm Morningpaw." - **Morningpaw**

((*Pleeeeaasse* don't control my characters! You're welcome to initiate an interaction by having your character approach, just please let me do my own responses. :) )) The rosetted tom angled his ears backwards out of his discomfort over the situation. He still felt defensive over himself, with his failure to reach out and completely trust his clanmates quite yet. "Well uh, I'm going hunting. See 'ya later." The run-in left Muddypaw feeling on edge, disappointed in himself for not having his senses in high alert. If he could run into a meager apprentice, he could easily be taken down by some ScarClan assassin. **-- Muddypaw**

((Whoopsie, Srry about that :>)) Morningpaw watched the apprentice walk off. He was nice, in a weird uncomfortable way. The rest of her hunt was unsucessful. When she got back to camp she was exhausted. She comlapsed into her bed in the apprentice den. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt a sharp prod in her shoulder. Flareflight leaned over her. "Get up! Training was surpossed to be a while ago. morningpaw stumbled to her feet and followed him outside camp. - **Morningpaw**

“Well I’m Crookedflower!” Crookedflower replied, she then saw Thunderkit amber eyes peak out of a bush, “Ugh!” She snarled, Shadowchaser looked worried, “No no! Your all right, it’s just that smooth kit Thunderkit! He always follows me around and hurts every tom I talk to! I have to go and tell his mother, again...” she sighed. “Talk again sometime? Like, a real conversation?” She asked the dark tom. —Crookedflower

((S'okay)) Muddypaw continued on his merry way, albeit in a semi-paranoid and a significantly more alert fashion. He walked with his chocolate tail high above his head to ward off an threats, boasting that he was alert and prepared to defend himself if necessary. Never knew when an old ScarClan clanmate might show his or her face. Eventually, the apprentice tracked down a robin and struggled with it a bit before delivering a killing bite. On silent pawsteps, Muddypaw returned to camp to proudly place his catch, which he caught all by himself! **-- Muddypaw**

Considering that he acted like he was walking on thin ice 24/7, it was no surprise that Shadowchaser flinch and rose to his paws as a reaction to Crookedflower's snarl, prepared to run away if needed. But, she was talking to a kit...one that was very, very fresh. Like, only a moon or so. He didn't much think that something not quite up to his belly could harm him, considering Shadowchaser's unnatural size. He never understood why he grew so tall- likely because he was oblivious to the fact that his great great great grandfather was an absolute beast. For the entire conversation, even if brief, the warrior kept his eyes adverted, refusing to make eye-contact with Crookedflower. It was his same old submissive way. "I-If I may, ma'am," he finally voiced up, "I-I'm not much one for conversation. I don't mean to be rude, I...I'm just a tom of action, I guess." Patrols and hunting? Absolutely fine. Talking to others he hadn't grown up with? He wasn't great at it. **-- Shadowchaser**

“oh, that’s okay! I’m usually hunting or reporting this KIT to his mother for stalking me! And attacking EVERY tom I talk too. Ugh, anyway, talk to ya later Shadowchaser!” Crookedflower meowed as she grabbed Thunderkit by the scruff and took him into the Nursery with another complaint- CROOKEDFLOWER

"Yeah, uhm....see ya later!" The salt-and-peppered tom called out weakly. Kits weren't capable of causing real damage, perhaps she mistook this "attacking" for play? After all, most didn't seem to have decent coordination until they were apprentices, when they started their training. Shrugging it off, Shadowchaser began to sink back into his silence, allowing his athletic form to relax, and focus his thoughts on the good times. When he was just a kit, playing with his mother and having no worries...yet, the warrior never got to meet his father. Who was he? What did he look like? What did he....do? Shadowchaser sighed and decided the chase the thoughts off, resting his head on his paws. -- **Shadowchaser**

Maplepaw was hissed at by Mistystream again, of course she was, she had been late for patrol and training again, of course she couldn’t have helped it! She had to sleep in! She wasn’t used to training sceduals and wake up times! She was used to waking up when she felt like it! And taking a nap when she felt like it! and she had been scolded and told “If we had any elders left then you’d get elders duty!” And “think of what the elders would say!“ and ‘yada yada yada’ nonstop. Like an endless loop of disappointment. She rolled her eyes, what’s even worse that cleaning after the elders? anyone could’ve asked. Cleaning up after the warriors of the clan, with so many cats and so much bedding to change! They don’t even say thank you! Or anything! They just go out and away! She snarled in her mind. Suddenly she saw Muddypaw, the spotted brown tom had entered camp with a mouthful of prey, she glared. Why was t there any warriors with him? Did he go off alone? Why couldn’t she do that? And how come he only brought back one piece of prey? She padded over in front of his path after dropping her moss. “What were you doing in the woods hunting without a warrior with you?!” She asked waiting for a good excuse. —Maplepaw

He didn't like others running up to scold or yell at him- that's what they did to him in ScarClan. That wasn't ok. With an urge to defend himself flaring up, the apprentice narrowed his seafoam eyes sharply. He wouldn't take it laying down, at would make him weak, and he had to prove himself strong. Otherwise, word would get out, and someone from ScarClan would surely strike him down. "And who are you to bother, my mother?" Muddypaw responded with sharp edge, his body tensing as if he was expecting a swipe, as he would in his old clan. "I haven't been assigned a mentor. I have hunted for the clan, as any apprentice should. There's nothing wrong with that." **- Muddypaw**

Thunderkit needed answers. he had a feeling that his parents had answers to all his questions, but wouldn't tell him. So, Thunderkit decided to spy on them. Ambereye and Darkpaw had gone to the dirtplace to talk, so Thunderkit followed them. He hid in a bush. Before talking, Ambereye and Darkpaw did strange things. Movements with their paws and tails, standing on their hind legs, and a variation of noises. There was a time Ambereye rolled on the ground, thrashing herself wildly before getting up and twining tails with Darkpaw. What was this? Did most cats do this? Thunderkit had never done it- in either of his lives. He later talked to Shadowkit about it, and he guessed that it was somthing mates do. Meanwhile, Thunderkit was spying on his parents. He was about to leave, because all they were doing was the strange movements, but as he turned around, Darkpaw began to speak. "So, about Thunderkit." he mewed to his mate. Thunderkit perked his ears. This was it! "He looks so much like Hawkflame..." Ambereye sighed. *Hawkflame!* All the memories came flooding back to Thunderkit. The intense love he felt towards Crookedflower... the anger he had towards Sproutstripe... the blinding pain the tree caused as it crushed him... *Hawkflame. Hawkflame. Hawkflame! My name is Hawkflame. -Thunderkit*

With nothing but the name she had given herself, the memoryless Ashpaw continued to wait at the border for a patrol to take her in. She needed to find herself, relearn everything that she had so suddenly forgotten. She knew nothing of this so-called "clan" or whatever this "code" was, but the snow rosetted she-cat could only hope that they were willing to teach her....about everything. Literally everything. **-- Ashpaw**

“Skystar had SAID not to go alone! Only on patrols! Okay?! I’m SO sorry for intruding your little buisenness but I can tell you I’m litterally being scolded for SLEEPING IN! Don’t all apprentices new to? IT REALLY FEELS LIKE MY MENTOR HATES ME AND I AM NOTHING TO THE CLAN BUT THE BED CHANGER! All I wanted to do was prove to them that I could do better, but they WONT LET ME! No one seems to care how I am enough to really know what’s going on! So now I have to deal with YOU hissing at me for asking A FEW SIMPLE QUESTIONS!” Maplepaw roared and growled, she was way angrier than she has ever been before, Muddypaw looked surprised, and then Maplepaw turned to go, whipping the tom in the face with her tail and making him flinch. Then she stormed into her moss bed and buried her head in her paws, hoping to sleep the day away and all of her feelings. -Maplepaw

Who made dirt in *her* fresh kill this morning? Muddypaw's ScarClan blood whispered sweet evilness into his ears, demanding that he shred her ears for daring to think that she had the right to boss him around. In his homeland, she would pay for such an attitude. *You are not what they make you, Muddypaw.* He was above this. He would not be that sort of monster. "Whatever," Muddypaw mumbled as he brushed the situation off coldly, turning back towards the fresh kill pile to admire his work. For an apprentice, it was an awfully nice catch, or some thought. **-- Muddypaw**

"Ambereye. Take Shadowchaser and Crookedflower. Patrol the ThornClan border and the thunderpath," Mistystream called. "Breezenight. Spiderfang. Maplepaw. Hunting patrol near Twotrees." Mistystream was assigning the patrols. After a few days of pratice, she felt like she had the hang of it. As Ambereye's patrol was leaving, Stormstreak burst into the camp. Birdpaw and Juniperpaw pelted over. "Stormstreak! Where have you been?! We've been trying to keep the Clan healthy, but it's so hard! But you've been gone so long!" Stormstreak tensed. "Sorry, but I had to." Brushing past her apprentices. she called to Skystar and Mistystream, who were both on the Clanmound. "I need to speak with you. Now." *This sounds urgent*, Mistystream thought, anxious. "You too," Stormstreak called to Birdpaw and Juniperpaw. The five cats trailed into Skystar's den to talk. -Mistystream

The silvered black tom froze when he heard his name shouted by the deputy. At once, he felt his heart race from sheer fear. For whatever reason, Shadowchaser found himself incredibly intimidated by those of higher ranks, perhaps because he feared loss and exile ever since the death of his mother. He never put much thought into it nonetheless; the warrior judt knew that he was intimidated. For what felt like forever, Shadowchaser was like a statue glued to the ground until finally- with his tail tucked between his legs- he darted over to the exit to anxiously join the patrol. **-- Shadowchaser**

Crookedflower sighed with relief. At least she was on a patrol that hadn’t included THUNDERKIT. She was very annoyed by him and hiss appearances, he acted like, like— *no. He’s dead,* Crookedflower shook her head. But then saw the black wolfish shape of Shadowchaser, trailing far behind her in the shadows, she then raised a brow. *I wonder why he‘s afraid a lot. Maybe it’s personal, but he should keep close,*  “Hey Shadowchaser!” She called and drew the toms attention, “you should keep close to the patrol, don’t want you to pet attacked without a sound and for us to be all like ‘*hmmm I wonder where Shadowchaser went???*’ And you’d be all like, ‘*HELP! Im being torn apart by a fox!*’ Or something, so keep up! We need to stay together!” She shouted as Ambereye stopped to wait with her. —Crookedflower

Maplepaw was fast asleep with the worst dreams any cat could imagine, Blood, More and more BLOOD, and dead cats, more and more limp bodies drenched in blood, the Forest was burning and dying, StarClan had vanished into shadowed cats, and lying at her paws had been Cola, Cobaltpaw, and Morningpaw, all dead, and she had been the last to stand. Struggling to stay out of the blood soaked floors, the shadows had surrounded her, and gone into her, hurting her heart, making her ache and worry, but suddenly, she saw a veil, it looked like a mirror, and she limped over as the shadows still flew through her pelt and into her soul, she moved but it seemed harder and harder as she took a step, until she lay a paw through the veil, her paw had felt so much better, and she dragged herself through the veil, hoping to make it, one paw after the other, but as the last shadow entered her heart, she had lay limp, as everyone else. Unblinking Eyes, limp body, her last sight was a brown she-cat with blue eyes, the last cat she saw as a ripple through the veil, unable to identify. And suddenly she shook awake, she was breathing hard and then sighed, *only a Dream.....* she huffed, still hyperventilating, she breathed slower and slower and felt a sting at her paw, it was a black thorn, the shadow color, drawing blood from her pad. —Maplepaw

Well...that was awfully reassuring, a complete boost of confidence to a tom that lacked it. Not only did he have to worry about his superiors, but now he was paranoid about being the unwilling dinner date to a fox. Angling his ears backwards out of nervousness, Shadowchaser quickened his pace while simultaneously lowering his head to communicate his general discomfort. Was this a set up? Were they going to dump him out in the woods? No,just breathe, just breathe... **-- Shadowchaser**

Crookedflower and Ambereye had started to travel again once Shadowchaser was closer, close enough hear his pawsteps, and then she sighed, *Hmmm.... I wonder is Mistystream meant for me to leave my apprentice at camp, maybe she wanted me to go alone......* and Ambereye stopped. “What is it?” Crookedflower meowed as Shadowchaser stopped a tail length away. “I smell ThornClan.” She answered in almost a whisper. “Oh! Okay, let’s search around, together though since they could attack from anywhere....” Crookedflower meowed. And then she saw Shadowchasers worried look, and tryed to reassure. “Don’t worry, we’ll all have each others backs, and we’ll protect each other. But if there are too many, we may send someone to go fetch some more warriors to back is up.” And then the three cats stalked through the woods barely heard, searching for clues.—Crookedflower

Morningpaw's first training session had gone well, hunting was really fun, and she was excited to learn what Flareflight had in store for her today. "Hurry up Morningpaw!" He called. Morningpaw raced after him. After they had gotten to the training clearing, Flareflight declared, "Today we will practice fighting." "Fighting?" Morningpaw's breath caught in he throught. "But no one deserves to be hurt! Who would we be fighting?" Flareflight looked at Morningpaw curiously. "Why the other clans of course." "But-" "No buts." "But no one deserves to be hurt!" That session soon became a battle of words, not claws. When the sun declared it was past time to go in, Flareflight said, "You're clever with words kit, but you gotta fight." "No." Morninpaw simply said, as she haughtily walked ahead of him. - Morningpaw

Shadowchaser proceeded to taste the air to familiarize himself with this ThornClan stench that he'd never detected before. He would have no problems blending in with the shadows to avoid detection from any trespassers- his unique yet dark coat provided him with an advantage. Shadowchaser swore that he saw someone a distance off at the border, but she was no warrior. The cat was small, like a young apprentice, and wore pale fur with a very lost expression. It was clear that she was all alone, and certainly no threat to them. "Hello?" Shadowchaser called out to her softly, watching as the stranger froze nervously, but held her ground. "I...I'm here to join!" Ashpaw responded in the distance. **-- Shadowchaser and Ashpaw**

Shrewkit emerged from the nursery. He was nearly five moons old now. His hobbies included eating, sleeping, and chasing Windkit. Windkit just laughed, but Swiftshadow said he shouldn't be chasing she-cats just yet. Shrewkit didn't see what was wrong about chasing she-cats. He was just trying to have fun. Whenever Shrewkit smiled at Windkit, Riverkit gave him a dirty look. *How rude.* Shrewkit had thought. The tom wasn't very bright. It was obvious to any normal cat that Riverkit had a crush on him, and she thought he liked Windkit. But Shrewkit didn't know about crushes. He didn't know that Riverkit was jealous. Shrewkit wasn't the smartest cat, that was true, but the she-cats thought he was handsome, so his oblivion. -Shrewkit

Since he was yet to have a mentor to call his own, Muddypaw had no scheduled training sessions. So, the chocolate-colored tom had time to spare, and decided to spend it mentally cooling himself down. Stretching out long and strong limbs, the apprentice rolled onto his back so that he could enjoy the patch of sunlight he chose, letting the sun's rays warm his creamy-mocha belly. His quick hunt had allowed him to spend some of his angry energy, but already he was recharged and prepared for action. **-- Muddypaw**

Ripplekit yawned. He had been playing with Featherkit and Riverkit, and Shadowkit and Thunderkit most of the day, and he was tired, “what should we do now?” He asked. Shadowkit closed his eyes. “Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. We should go and maybe play KitClan! Isn’t it a fun game?” He asked. “Right! I love playing KitClan! I want to be the medicine cat!” Ripplekit was shocked. *Why the medicine cat? Of course they help heal and stuff, but why? What was so important that they did?* “I want to be the leader!” Feartherkit chimed in. A few other kits padded over, Sunnykit and Icekit. “Can we play? We like to play KitClan!” Ripplekit then meowed. “Sure!” As Windkit padded over. “So Hazelkit is the medicine kit, Featherkit is leader. I want to be the deputy! I like to do patrol work and stuff!” Ripplekit meowed as he puffed out his chest with pride, which made his mother giggle. Sunnykit, Icekit, Shadowkit, and Windkit said, “we wanna be warriors!” But then Sunnykit and Icekit added, “we wanna be apprentices to them!” And then Featherkit padded over, “let us take this infoeprmation outside.” She said in a leaderly tone. And so they played out of the nursery in the clearing. “Now! Shadowkit, you will be Icekits mentor!“ and the kits touched noses. “And Windkit can be Sunnykit’s mentor.” And they touched noses. “Okay!” Featherkit started. “I need the company of my deputy and medicine cat.” And so they edged away from the training warrior-kits. “Okay, we need to discuss what to do next.” She started as Hazelkit arrived, her fur scented of mint and lavender. “Where you actually in the medicine cats den?” He asked. “Well what else should I use to actually feel like a medicine cat? Of course I did mouse-brain!” She smiled. *I need to know what Medicine cats do so that I can really trust them*, what was so important that he didn’t get? And the kits played on*.—***Ripplekit**

Crookedflower stopped as she heard Shadowchaser meow, “hello?” She whipped her head around. “Shh! We don’t want to be seen!” But then she caught a glimpse on another white figure, she looked like one of the kits back at camp. And then Ambereye turned also. Then she meowed with a shudder, “I....I’m here to join.” And she let down her guard. “Why are loners always wanting to join OUR clan? It’s always that. Then we’ll get the ‘WILLOWCLAN KNOWN FOR TAKING LONERS INTO THE CLAN!’ Kind of introduction.” Crookedflower thought aloud quietly in a mutter, “Well, What’s your name?” Crookedflower yowled as she padded next to Shadowchaser and slowly took a step towerds the she-cat before the patrol. *Remember Crookedflower, do not let your guard down.* A voice sang in her head, something she had head before, not Hawkflame, but a different tom, he sounded like he knew what would happen next, and she listened, until she heard a sharp yowl behind which made Shadowchaser and ambereye jump, “THORNCLAN! Attack!” —**Crookedflower**

About a moon later, it was time for Ambereye and Swiftshadow's kits to be apprenticed. (just getting this over with) **Sunnypaw got Darkpaw** as a mentor, and **Icepaw was apprenticed to Riverstone**. **Shrewpaw got Brackenleaf**, and **Shadowpaw was paired with Sunflower**. Thunderpaw was restless as he anticipated his turn to be partnered with a mentor. **Windpaw got Dapplefrost**, **Riverpaw was apprenticed to Breezenight**, and **Thunderpaw was chosen to be trained by Brambleheart**. Thunderpaw's heart leaped with joy. He got a very experienced warrior as his mentor! Suddenly, he heard a yowl behind him. Crookedflower, Shadowchaser, and Ambereye were covered in wounds, limping back into camp. "ThornClan attacks us while we were on patrol." Crookedflower moaned. "We were outnumbered. We had to retreat." The three cats were taken into the medicine den to be tended to. Thunderpaw was worried. Ambereye, his mother/sister, was severely injured. She had already suffered enough! Why did she have to be wounded again? *And Crookedflower... I should help her.* Thunderpaw got moss and soaked it with water. He walked into the medicine den and saw the white she-cat lying on a moss bed. Crookedflower narrowed her eyes. "Why are YOU here?" she growled. Thunderpaw flinched. "Look, I know you don't like me but... I'm back." Crookedflower gave him a strange look. "Of course your back. You're standing right in front of me. I'm not blind, y'know?" Thunderpaw looked into her sky-blue eyes. "You remember Hawkflame, don't you?" he mewed softly. Crookedflower's eyes widened. "no." she whispered. "You're not... you can't be... you were dead..." Thunderkit winced. "I was dead." he said slowly. "But StarClan gave me a second chance. Please respect that. I am here to finish what I started." Crookedflower stared into his amber eyes. "Impossible." she muttered. "I mean... I get it that you love me... but I didn't think you would love me so much that you came back from StarClan for me." Thunderpaw's eyes filled with tears of love and joy. "Does this mean-" Crookedflower silenced him with her tail. "I'm sorry, Hawkflame." she mewed. "I like Sproutstripe." Thunderpaw's amber eyes filled with rage. He threw the moss onto Crookedflower's nest and stormed out of the den. -Thunderpaw

Crookedflower sighed. “Oh StarClan. Why? bringing him back was your worst mistake.”And then she limped after Thunderpaw/Hawkflame. “Please, if you really loved me you’d at least be happy!” She hissed after him, silencing the camp and sending their eyes at the two. “Well maybe you shouldn't have come back! What was the point?! All about me?! Hawkflame. You’ll always be the same won’t you?” she hissed which made him turn around. “Are you sure?! You’d think I’d just storm off without giving up! You will be mine Crookedflower! And no one else's, which means if you aren’t mine then no one gets you!” And he leaped over at her with unsheathed claws. Trying to kill a wake warrior must be against the code, but as soon as he was close enough to slash her neck, Sproutstripe raced in front of her and was hit hard by Thunderpaw, leaving him limp on the ground. “NO!” She Howled loudly. she ran over to Sproutstripe, blood leaked from his neck and his eyes were dazing and hooded. “Do you realize what you did.” crookedflower muttered towards Thunderpaw. “Hawkflame. You've broken the warriors code.” And then she felt tears rolling down her cheeks, “no”. And Skystar had ran out of her den followed by Stormstreak and Mistystream, and the Medicine cats apprentices. —Crookedflower

Morningpaw peeked into the medicine den. Juniperpaw and Birdpaw were fervently working to heal the multiple injuries. Birdpaw shooed her away, "Sorry but we need some space now!" Morningpaw felt unwanted. She found herself a mouse and sat down next to Muddypaw, who was sunning himself. "Hi." She said, she gave a faint nibble on her mouse, but she didn't really want it.. "So, um... How ya' doing?" - Morningpaw

Muddypaw watched the scene with a mix of disdain and keen interest. Murder and bloodshed was why he left his clan, but still it ran in his veins, whether he liked it or not. So the rosetted tom glanced away with a heavy sigh. So much for Willowclan being some sort of sage haven. He left himself in several silence until suddenly Morningpaw seated herself beside him and began to chow down. Ewww, how did she have an appetite now, after \*that\*? She must've had a stomach made of rocks. "I'm ok, I guess." Wasn't she sister's with that grouchy apprentice, Maplepaw? How could they be so...different? **-- Muddypaw**

A pit of rage grew in Shadowchaser's stomach when Crookedflower made the comment about loners, but he kept his trap shut. \*He\* had been a loner. Who cared about your birthplace? They were all still cats!! He had fought well and bravely against the invaders meanwhile, shockingly so. He was a beast in combat, thanks to his superior size and athletic build. Nonetheless, he needed medical attention and received it. He took Ashpaw along with him to camp after she introduced herself. She seemed nice enough, it wasn't her fault that she wasn't born into the clan. **-- Shadowchaser and Ashpaw**

"Just okay?" Morningpaw asked. Morningpaw looked at the apprentice. He looked so sad. To be honest, she felt sad too. An attack for no reason at all had happened on innocent cats. Why did cats even fight at all? It seemed so barbaric. Muddypaw seemed like a friend, but she wan't quite sure if he really was. Was he still devoted to Seaclan? Or because he was... She looked at him, then pushed her mouse away. "Hey Muddypaw?" She asked. "Do you ever feel," She faltered. "Unwanted?" - Morningpaw

Sprucefall bounded out of the warriors den towards her dead son, “how could this happen.... how,” Crookedflower felt Sprucefall’s sadness, “how could little old Thunderpaw do that. Was that what you were going to say?” Crookedflower stood up with her eyes closed and she was facing the opposite way of the surprised Thunderpaw. “I think we all know what should be done? You know, that is against the warriors code! He killed one of his clan all for love! All because he WANTED ME. Does that sound like a good reason?” She turned and gave Thunderpaw a horrifying glare, the cats who’ve seen her eyes flintched away, but they were locked onto Thunderpaw’s amber eyes, almost like it hurt him physically. She kept staring and staring as the Clan stood over the dead Sproutstripe. —Crookedflower

Unwanted? Was she trying to tell him something or...? "Depends on the day. When your sister is nagging at me? Yeah." Muddypaw snorted before twitching the tip of his tail. "Definitely." He did wonder if Willowclan truly intended on keeping him around, considering that he wasn't assigned a mentor. He lied and declared that he came from SeaClan, so the warriors and higher-ups knew nothing of his true heritage. At least, not yet. **-- Muddypaw**

"Oh," Morningpaw had hope for more of an answer, but this was enough. "I'm sorry about my sister." She looked at the ground. "I'm nothing like my sister, but I'm sure she feels sorry." *I hope.* She looked at Muddypaw. "Thanks for the answer. If you want me to, I can talk to Skystar about getting you a mentor." She padded off, truly hoping she had found a friend. - Morningpaw

Maplepaw round her sister padding up to her. “Go. Away.” She snarled. “What? why?” She asked. “I’m not in a very good mood.....” “well, I just wanted to ask why you’ve been bugging Muddypaw?” Maplepaw hissed when she heard the toms name. “Obviously for a SeaClan cat, he doesn’t try to go fishing! And by the way, why would you care about HIM?” She asked, Morningpaw sighed. “I don’t know........l just asking!” She started. Maplepaw just kept padding into her nest and went to sleep, Muddypaw was the last thing she’d want to see. Now she had a weird dream, she had not been dead, but couldn’t cross the veil? *What? Why am I not dead like last time?* she thought as she started padding through the dark misty forests, she had seen weird glowing green mushrooms and a thick mist lay ahead of her. “Where am I! This place is not WillowClan!” And then she saw a white cat figure. “No, it’s not. It’s the opposite.” He meowed. “Who are you!” Maplepaw snarled. “Oh, WillowClan wasnt noted? Hmph. That’s a shame. I am Windstrike.” He announced. “Now, tell me, little apprentice, what had brought you to the dark forest? *Who* are *you*?” Windstrike asked from the shadows. “I—I, don’t know why I’m here, and I’m Maplepaw.” She spat. “Why am I here?” She continued. “Oh, poor, poor little Maplepaw, your here because you want proper warrior training? Is that right? You haven’t been trained and had been declined by your clan?” Windstrike asked. “Uh.....” Maplepaw knew he was right. “What would you do?” She asked as she rolled her eyes. “You mean we?” He added as more cats emerged from the mist, their pelts had a green glow from the mushrooms. “What.” Maplepaw hadn’t seen all of these cats before, battle scarred, and bloodstained, it almost made her want to kill them all and then make them never come back to haunt her ever, until Windstrike had come out, his gray tabby pelt shimmering green woth his blue rippling eyes, “this is the place you must go if you seek to become strong and powerful, so that no one shall deceive you and treat you like youre weak, this is the Dark Forest! and the place that you will train in from now on until you join us for good.” and then Maplepaw shuddered awake.—Maplepaw (sry so long)

The tom pricked his ears in interest when Morningpaw mentioned putting a good word in with Skystar. In fact, the spotted apprentice almost managed to smile at the gesture. "I think I'd like that." He responded as Morningpaw walked off, before he noticed Maplepaw approaching her sister. Drama, again. With his back turned towards the scene, the mink began to sink back towards the ground so that he could proceed to sun himself. **-- Muddypaw**

Murder. Now this- this was why Shadowchaser chose to be a hermit, trusted nobody. Once more, the grizzled tom snaked back into the depths of the warrior's den, rather than sleeping in the medicine cat den. Although, he didn't intend on sleeping just yet, more or less he was avoiding the crowds of cats. Hopefully Ashpaw was fitting in, the poor she-cat didn't seem to understand...well, *anything*. Had something happened to her? Shadowchaser shrugged off the thought, wrapping his tail tightly around his body while his dialated eyes rested on the entrance of the warrior's den. **-- Shadowchaser**

Now, why did *he* have to do all the dirty work? Sure, he was ScarClan's best tracker, but he wasn't interested in getting any blood on his paws- not yet, at least. Smokestorm was only 12 moons old, a fresh warrior and young adult, and he wasn't interested in starting his real life by strangling some stupid adolescent furball. So what if Muddypaw left ScarClan? He couldn't blame him. He was sick of all the taunting for his lack of eyesight. He was blind, not deaf, he could hear all those sarcastic comments from his fellow ScarClan warriors. Yet, Smokestorm was enjoying the break from his clanmates, wandering about unknown land rather than listening to all their babble and participating in their pointless spars. Navigating while sightless was a pain (literallly) and also dangerous, but he managed. **-- Smokestorm**

Crookedflower felt tears roll down her eyes and she ran into the warriors den past Shadowchaser and sobbed in her moss bed, it was soaked due to Thunderpaw dropping the wet moss on it, but she didn’t care, she was too sad to do anything but sob and moan, and sniffle, all she wanted to do was go to sleep, talk to StarClan and never leave again. All she wanted to do was have someone to really trust, her mother was keeping secrets and so were her siblings. All she wanted..... was a family of her own. “Oh great StarClan!” She cried. Aloud—Crookedflower

Maplepaw padded out of the den to see Thunderpaw rush in. “Ugh” she hissed. As he raced past her. “What is wrong with cats today!“ she muttered. And then she saw a crowd. “Oh,” she muttered again. But then she snook out of camp, she needed to clear her mind, think about her dream, and think about Windstrike, and what had happened. And so, she had taken a walk very far, and started to hunt her mind away, —***Maplepaw (Firefly)***

Morningpaw ran up to Skystar. "Hi!" Morningpaw said. "I'm here to ask if you were going to give Muddypaw a mentor." Skystar looked at her. "Right. I was thinking about it. Who does he want?" Morningpaw shrugged. "He wants a mentor." "Hm... I'll think about who to give him. Thanks for reminding me." "No problem!" - Morningpaw

"No... no... he isn't... I didn't mean..." *I killed someone. No. I didn't This is all a bad dream. Soon I will wake up and be back in StarClan, where I belong.* Thunderpaw woke up. He wasn't in StarClan, nor was he in the apprentices den back at WillowClan. the strong scent of herbs told him he was in the medicine den. Juniperpaw was leaning over him. "Sproutstripe is alive." she mewed. "But barely." Thunderpaw buried his head in his paws. e glanced at Sproutstripe, and winced when he saw the damage he had done. "I... I'm sorry..." Crookedflower glared at him. "You almost kill a cat, and all you can say is SORRY?" The she-cat burst into tears and ran out of the den. Thunderpaw felt like doing the same. Birdpaw gave him a pitying look. Thunderpaw left the den to follow Crookedflower. He found the she-cat staring at her reflection in the river, humming a soft, musical tune. "Hello." she said without turning around. Thunderpaw sighed. Then, the white she-cat said somthing that Thunderpaw never thought she would say. "I forgive you." she mewed. Thunderpaw was shocked. "Why do you forgive me?" he asked. "I don't deserve to be forgiven. Even I know that." Crookedflower turned around. "I respect you, Hawkflame. You're a good cat. A good friend too. Just... I never thought about you as a mate." Thunderpaw sighed. "You don't get it. That is the only reason I'm back. I need to serve my purpose. I need you to love me." He put a paw on her back. "Please." he strained his mew as her reached his tail towards hers... Crookedflower pulled herself away and faced the river again. She began humming again in that musical tone, but this time she added words. "*You said you loved me, I said you're crazy, we're nothing more than friends. You're not my lover, more like my brother...*" Thunderpaw winced. "Is this what our relationship is like?" he growled, exasperated. "Will I always be chasing you, but you will never get closer?" Crookedflower sighed. "Why is this so important?" Thunderpaw soon came to a realization. "StarClan wants us to be together." he meowed. "If they didn't, they wouldn't have sent me back." -Thunderpaw (Hawkflame)

Shadowchaser watched in silence as Crookedflower raced into the warrior's den, and then right back out. These WillowClan cats...he really didn't understand them. Didn't she find it a bit disturbing that Thunderpaw was only *just* made an apprentice, and she was a warrior, and he was looking to become mates? He was a *kid*! Shaking his head, the insecure newcomer shifted in his nest so that he could face his back towards the warrior den's entrance before releasing a heavy sigh. *Nope, don't get involved in the drama, Shadowchaser. You like independence. Keep out of it.* **-- Shadowchaser**

Wow- love, blood, and drama, and Ashpaw had only just arrived! Unlike a few cats, she didn't seemed bothered by the situation at all, more or less intrigued. She was yet to know much about herself, but already she pictured an inner flame, somewhat of an adventurous soul. All this change and fast-action was making Ashpaw giddy and excited, like she wanted to go on some endless mission, or hear some long story from boring elders. Was she spontaneous and impulsive? Yes- and she couldn't wait to get started! **-- Ashpaw**

Could Muddypaw have asked Skystar himself about receiving a mentor? Yes, probably, but Morningpaw did it for him and that was cool with the tom. Muddypaw wasn't typically this lazy, but already this day felt unbearably long, and he preferred to not grow any more frustrated. He had enough on his mind at the moment, with ScarClan potentially at his throat, and plenty of apprentices to push his buttons. This nap in the sunshine was the only thing that could save him from his own blind rage at this rate. **-- Muddypaw**

Crookedflower growled. “No.” And Thunderpaw/Hawkflame winced. “That’s not right. They couldn’t have told you to come back to make US mates.” Then Hawkflame sighed. “But I love you.” He murmured. “Then why don’t I love you back?!” She snarled. “Hmm? Open your eyes Hawkflame, we will never be mates, StarClan has sent YOU back, for another life! And all you want to do is continue your old one from before! You could be happier as Thunderpaw. But you’ve decided to be Hawkflame again. Think. That is NOT why StarClan has sent you back.” She hissed, moving away from him. He looked angry and confused, lost in thought. “Just think, go talk to StarClan if you must, at the moonstone, (Um, is there any communication with StarClan object thing?) they might tell you why. Because it wasn’t for me, because I don’t have your feelings. And you should know it already.” She whispered the last sentence and padded back to camp, leaving Hawkflame, no, Thunderpaw, staring into the lake at himself. As she entered camp, she went into the Warriors den, but saw Shadowchaser looking at her. And she gave him a slight smile, but then she went into her moss bed which was still a little soaked, and she went to sleep. Hoping Thunderpaw knew where his heart lay. —Crookedflower

Maplepaw trotted back to camp angry, confused, calm? How could she know how to feel? There was drama in camp of a killing, crying, anger. Then there were those cats who've never gotten involved and thought it was beast staying away for a while, like her. She had hunted two squirrels and a chaffinch all a self taught hunt. And as she entered camp she saw many cats stare with relief and heard, “Atleast someone decided to hunt.” And “Wow! She was smart.” And, “whoa, thanks!” And then she leaft them on the empty fresh kill pile and decided to train with Windstrike some more. But glared at Muddypaw as she entered the apprentices den. —Maplepaw (Firefly)

“you shall now be called Ripplepaw, and your mentor will be...... hmmm, Brackenleaf.” Skystar announced. As Brackenleaf and Ripplepaw had touched noses, he looked back at the other apprentices; Dewpaw, (his sister), Hazelpaw, Featherpaw, Icepaw, Shrewpaw, and Sunnypaw. They have all gotten mentors, but there was already a lot of apprentices, soooooo, the den would be packed, there are way more apprentices than warriors, but he shook that thought away as Brackenleaf asked, “do you want a night tour?” And Ripplepaw nodded, then they exited camp.—Ripplepaw

Shadowchaser didn't understand why Crookedflower was always looking or smiling at him. He wasn't interested in getting involved in the daily drama of WillowClan's life, he preferred his low-profile. So he rose to his paws and staggered out of the warrior's den while shaking out his coarse-textured fur, his eyes falling on Ashpaw. She didn't seem bothered by the sudden bloodshed- maybe she just didn't understand? *She wants to talk to me, but I'm not the chatty sort. I should find her a friend.* **-- Shadowchaser**

Maplepaw gasped as she was pinned by a tom names Darkfoot, he merely choked her until she kicked him off and bit into his scruff, “good Maplepaw!” Windstrike fumed. “And so she bit harder and harder, liking the way the tom screeched. But then he scratched her eye and lay it bleeding, but she could still see. She growled, and then sliced his neck. Leaving him limp on the dark forest floors. “Very well.” Another tom hissed lowly. Maplepaw put her paw up to her eye, blood, maybe a scar? But this didnt stop her from fighting, she ran into another warrior and he hissed. “Watch it!” As he fought another tom. Maplepaw rolled her eyes. then looked at Windstrike. “Now, go, training for you is over.” And so she woke up to seeing her squished shaking her, “wake up!” Maplepaw smiled, “it’s time to go out!” This made Maplepaw frown. “Um—“ then Morningpaw gasped, and then Maplepaw matched her sisters gaze to her shoulder, there was blood on it, “oh!” Maplepaw snarled, *I guess injuries do show,,,* then she meowed, “must’ve been a thorn in my nest, heh, wow, im really bad at my job of “Warriors duty”” she joked, but Morningpaw sighed, “right, then, um... see ya later Maplepaw,,,,” as she padded away. Maplepaw stared up, “Ugh,” and sighed, “okay StarClan, I bet you didn’t see me coming.” And then she exited the den to go and get moss for bedding. —Maplepaw

Muddypaw noticed Maplepaw hurrying by with a bloody shoulder, causing the tom to smile to himself. Ha. Haha! He put a thorn in her bedding earlier, and it appeared that his little surprise left its mark. Although, unbeknownst to the tom, she was actually training with the Dark Forest. However, unfortunately for WillowClan, Muddypaw was true to his ScarClan heritage in the fact that he didn't really believe in neither StarClan nor the Dark Forest. His clan had been a band of rogues, and the only thing they actively worshipped was the glory of a good battle, whether it was fair or not. **-- Muddypaw**

The major drawback for a blind cat navigating new land? Rocks. And trees, of course. The ScarClan merc had been too enthusiastic in his exploration and hadn't been mindful of a tree stump, causing him to run his nose right into its rough bark. It hurt and made his sniffer bleed, leaving Smokestorm to rub it for several moments until he felt more comfortable. *Need to be more careful*. The blind cat reminded himself to walk at a cautious pace, so he slowed his movements and continued to track Muddypaw's faint scent trail. **-- Smokestorm**

Maplepaw yawned, after a long day of cleaning camp, she wanted to sleep and train again.and so she did, she curled up into her nest and slept. She awoke in the Darkforest and smiled. “Now, we must teach death moves.” Oaktrail hissed, he was always next to Windstrike. And so, Maplepaw was challenged to practice, and she did. “Good” he hissed again. “Now battle training again.” Windstrike then stepped up onto a huge boulder. “Dark Forest cats!” He hissed, which made them all stop fighting and look up. “Maplepaw will now, fight 3 cats to prove her loyalty! Viperwhisker, Mottlepaw, and Firelight!” And Maplepaw winced, “what?!” But then she was brought below the stone, “this is crazy! Why 3?” She asked in a murmur. “Now! Mottlepaw!” And so the broad apprentice came out, her dark fur was very ruffled and she was way bigger than Maplepaw. But as she ran, Maplepaw jumped and landed onto the big she-cat’s tail, making her hiss with rage, and then Maplepaw knew that the she-cat had to kill her, so she then ran towards her opponent, clashing her soft underbelly as she slid, Maplepaw found herself on the ground, bleeding on her hind leg and she had been enraged, “I will not let you win! Not ever!” She thought aloud and raced as fast as she could, faster than she had ever been and slashed the she-cats neck and scarred her back, as she-cat bled the whole forest cheered, this made Maplepaw wince, she had felt good, this was a place she’d call home. Home, where cats actually liked you, and at least tried to help. She knew she’d always be loyal to this place first, then her real clan. If only other cats could have this much pride. —Maplepaw

Thunderpaw nodded. "You're right." he mewed to Crookedflower. "It's time for a fresh start." the she-cat smiled. "Goodbye, Hawkflame." she whispered. Thunderpaw then saw a cat next to him. A cat with stars in his fur. It was himself! No. It was Hawkflame. Thunderpaw watched as the spirit of Hawkflame padded up into the evening sky, until all he could see was a single shining star. Then, they all vanished. All the memories. All the yearning for Crookedflower and the jealousy of Sproutstripe. Thunderpaw was his own cat now. -Thunderpaw

Ashpaw was boring even the poor elders to death with her many, many questions. Why did leaders have such funny names? What was this "code" thing? What the heck were mates? What was fresh kill? How big were "mice"? How far away was StarClan? And, most importantly, *why did elders stink so bad?*The elders shooed her away after that one. Now, the silver snow bengal paced in camp as she began to suffer from boredom, but before long, the idea of the great unknown began to call her name. The territory....she had to see it for herself. **-- Ashpaw**

Crookedflower smiled, and then she saw Thunderpaw enter camp. And the Crookedflower rushed into the Medicine cats den and told Sproutstripe everything. “So, please don’t hurt him, he is Thunderpaw again.” And Sproutstripe nodded. Life felt so good, she wanted to sing it to everyone! But as she got into the Warriors den to rest, she glanced at Shadowchaser and asked. “How was your day? Mine was a little rough, if you haven’t seen me.....” and she knew she was alright as she felt her heart lift into the stars. —Crookedflower

"It *was* fine," ever since he arrived, Shadowchaser had spoke in a voice that was nothing but a whisper, until now. He rose to his paws with an irritated twitch of his tail. "I don't appreciate what you said about loners, Crookedflower. We're all cats, deep down, and our birthplace doesn't matter. What matters is the cat that we *make ourself* into. If outsiders wish to join WillowClan, then you should be flattered, and you should welcome them with open arms." The tom's voice was surprisingly deep when he spoke aloud, nothing like how mousy he was before. He then turned his back towards her to make it evident that he wasn't interested in a fight. **-- Shadowchaser**

“oh, Shadowchaser, I’m so sorry, Ive just been very irritated lately, about Hawkflame,or, Thinderpaw, and just stressed, about the clan, and my father..... My mother had gone away to visit TundraClan, and my siblings don’t really talk with me anymore.... and Sproutstripe was almost killed..... and, and,,,,” *and I was told by the cat who almost killed him that StarClan told us to be together...* she finished. “I hope you can forgive me..... and maybe we could be great friends, one day....” and she sighed. Then realized that she hadn’t been properly training her apprentice Maplepaw, either! “Oh no!” She ran out of her den into the apprentices den before Shadowchaser could respond and woke her apprentice up, it was time to take responsibility for her part in the clan and be an honorable warrior for once. —Crookedflower

Maplepaw hrowled as she hear Crookedflower. “go. Away.” She snarled. “Why dont we go and take a tour of the territory?” Crookedflower asked. This are Maplepaw hiss. “I’ve given my self one.” She answered. This Made Crookedflower wince. “I’m so sorry, Maplepaw, I haven’t been training you properly, maybe we should do some battle training? Won’t that sound good? Or maybe a border patrol? I can ask for a border patrol!” And with that, Crookedflower raced out of the apprentices den, up to Mistystream. Maplepaw rolled her eyes. “Wow, it’s not like I’ve trained myself in my sleep every day or anything. I bet we may come against another border patrol from another clan though.....” she muttered, but then glared at Muddypaw, who was staring back at her. “What are you looking at?” She asked sharply. She had NO int in talking with the tom.—Maplepaw