Whitekit sat on the HighLedge.
She looked at Pebblekit and Snowkit, who were play-fighting.
She jumped down and ran to them.
"Whitekit!" her brother called, his paws placed firmly on Snowkit's back. "Help me kill the vicious ShadowClan leader!"
"Foolish leader!" Snowkit sneered. "I have three lives left!"
Whitekit crouched, as Wingpaw had shown her, and leaped on Pebblekit.
"I am the leader of WindClan!" she announced, facing her littermates.
"Well, Whitestar, I am the leader of ThunderClan!" Pebblekit mewed.
Foxkit ran up to his littermates.
"I'm the RiverClan leader!" he hissed.
"Wait!" Wingpaw's voice stopped the four kits' playing.
"Huh?" Whitekit turned and smiled.
"You need to learn some quick fighting moves before my warrior ceremony." Wingpaw looked at the four kits.
"You're being made a warrior today?" Foxkit beamed.
"Yes, I am! And in five moons, you guys will be apprentices!" Wingpaw lifted her chin proudly.
"May all the cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the HighLedge for a clan meeting!" Cinderstar called.
"I thought it would be later!" Wingpaw squeaked.
"We want to gather too!" Pebblekit hissed.
Snowcloud padded out of the nursery.
"Stay close to me, my kits," she mewed.
The cats of ThunderClan were already gathered.
"Today we are making an apprentice a warrior. Birchfang, is your apprentice ready to become a warrior?" Cinderstar mewed.
"She is." The brown tabby tom nodded.
"Very well. Wingpaw, step forward." Wingpaw eagerly stepped forward.
Cinderstar looked at the apprentice.
"I, Cinderstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend her as a warrior in her turn. Wingpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" She yowled.
"I do!" Wingpaw promised, raising her head.
"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Wingpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Wingshadow. StarClan honors your honesty and bravery and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan." Cinderstar rested her head on Wingshadow's bowed head. Wingshadow respectfully licked her leader's shoulder.
"Wingshadow! Wingshadow! Wingshadow! Wingshadow!" the clan cheered.
Whitekit called with the clan, but she couldn't help feel jealous. She wanted her warrior name!
Foxkit, Pebblekit, and Snowkit raced off.
"Hey!" Whitekit hissed.
She followed her brothers and sister.
-A moon later-
The four kits were huddled in the nursery, sleeping peacefully next to Snowcloud's stomach.
Wingshadow was on patrol with Silverfish, Swiftpaw, Sunpelt, and Birchfang.
"Hmm... Looks like ShadowClan is up to their old tricks," Sunpelt observed, a hiss in his throat as a ShadowClan patrol came by.
"You're on our territory!" Blueclaw, a ShadowClan warrior, hissed.
"This is our territory!" Silverfish snarled.
"No!" Lionpaw, Blueclaw's apprentice, replied.
"We claim this territory starting today." The ShadowClan deputy, Hawkfang, smirked.
"And soon," Blueclaw added, stepping next to her mate, "We'll take over all of ThunderClan and WindClan and RiverClan!"
The ThunderClan patrol backed up.
"No you won't! Swiftpaw, go get Cinderstar and a few other cats!" Birchfang ordered.
"I'll go too. We'll all go." Sunpelt hissed.
The ThunderClan patrol all ran back.
ShadowClan followed, but quite slow.
"ShadowClan's attacking!" Birchfang warned.
"What?" Cinderstar meowed.
Snowcloud stepped out of the nursery.
"I can't help my kits! Someone please help!" she mewed.
"Wingshadow and... Wolfflower guard the nursery! Birchfang and Fireclaw can guard the elders."
It was too late.
ShadowClan had come.
Silverfish hissed at the leader, Tigerstar. (Not the Tigerstar from the books.)
Tigerstar hissed back and leaped at her.
Whitekit woke up to the sound of yowling.
She saw her sister in front of them, hissing and snarling.
Whitekit sniffed the air and a smelled disgusting scent.
Foxkit and Pebblekit were shaking with fear and it took Whitekit a few moments to realize a snow-white body lay covered in crimson blood in front of them.
"Snowcloud!" Whitekit shrieked, not seeing four ShadowClan warriors behind them.
Foxkit yowled with fear.
"Help!" Pebblekit yowled.
"The nursery!" Wingshadow's voice came from outside. "What have you done?!"
Whitekit pressed against her littermates, waiting for the gray body of the former rouge to appear.
But it never did.
Suddenly, she was picked up by her scruff.
"Hey!" she squealed.
Whitekit wiggled and saw her littermates being held, the warriors holding them had their tails wrapped around their mouths.
The warrior holding her wrapped his tail around her mouth.
He nodded and the four snuck out.
No-cat noticed them, unluckily.
"Retreat ShadowClan!" Tigerstar yowled and led his warriors out.
Whitekit watched, wide-eyed, as Tigerstar stepped in front of them.
"Have you killed heir mother, Brackenpelt?" he asked.
"No, we didn't." Brackenpelt mumbled through Foxkit's fur.
"She looked dead to me!" Another warrior hissed through Pebblekit's fur.
"She wasn't Leafclaw." A warrior who was holding Snowkit shook his head.
"Snowcloud is a noble warrior. She nearly died to protect these four." The last warrior held Whitekit tighter.
"Yes, now let's go home. These kits won't remember ThunderClan if we take them now." Tigerstar turned and went to ShadowClan camp.
-4 moons later-
Tigerstar looked at the four kits-who were never saved and about to be named apprentices- and sighed.
Whitekit and her siblings had been raised by his mate, Flameheart. Flameheart had lost her four kits to greencough and once Tigerstar heard ThunderClan had four kits, he was ready to take them. One day, he did. Whitekit, Snowkit, Foxkit, and Pebblekit had forgotten ThunderClan and thought Tigerstar and Flameheart were their parents.
He smiled and let a purr rumble in his throat as Foxkit tackled Mousekit, one of his sister's kits, and nipped his ear gently.
"Foxkit! Stop!" Mousekit wailed.
"Who's Foxkit?" Foxkit teased as Whitekit ran out of the nursery.
"I, Whitestar, leader of WindClan says Foxstar is the leader of RiverClan!"
"I'm already leader!" Foxkit spat, tumbling his sister over and letting Mousekit run back to Sandheart.
Snowkit and Pebblekit ran up to them.
"Pebblestar, go get your evil ThunderClan warriors!" Snowkit mewed.
"You get your ShadowClan warriors! We shall help WindClan and RiverClan's leaders Snowstar!" Pebblekit warned.
"WindClan isn't weak!" Whitekit spat.
"Neither is RiverClan!" Foxkit agreed.
Tigerstar took that chance and called a clan meeting.
Flameheart, unprepared, started grooming her "kits"' pelts.
"Four kits are being made apprentices today. Snowkit, Whitekit, Foxkit, and Pebblekit please step forward." The four kits did as told.
Tigerstar looked at Pebblekit and he stepped forward.
"Pebblekit, you have reached the age of 6 moons and it is time that you are apprenticed. From this day on, until you get your warrior name, you shall be known as Pebblepaw." Tigerstar searched the crowd. "Leafclaw shall be your mentor. I hope Leafclaw will pass down all she knows to you."
Leafclaw stepped forward.
"Leafclaw, you are ready to take an apprentice." Tigerstar spoke the traditional words for his 'son.'
Leafclaw and Pebblepaw touched noses.
Tigerstar named Foxkit as Foxpaw after and assigned Brackenpelt as his mentor.
They touched noses.
Tigerstar looked at Snowkit.
He named her, but didn't say a mentor.
Snowpaw widened her eyes as the medicine cat got up.
The medicine cat, Lionpelt, stepped forward.
"Cats of ShadowClan, as you know I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown great sense of healing and figuring out StarClan signs, for she has helped me with some. Your next medicine cat shall be Snowpaw." Snowpaw squeaked and looked at Tigerstar.
"Snowpaw, do you accept the role of an apprentice to Lionpelt?" he asked.
Snowpaw nodded. "I do."
"Then at Half-Moon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats," Lionpelt announced.
"The good wishes of all ShadowClan will go with you." Tigerstar blinked as the two touched noses and let Whitekit be named.
Tigerstar spoke the words and made Cherryfur her mentor.
The clan cheered the names and Whitepaw followed Cherryfur to the training grounds.
"Alright, young apprentice, we have to learn the borders." Cherryfur led Whitepaw to the ThunderClan border.
"This is the clan who stole me and you guys got me back!" Whitepaw snarled.
"Yes, this all happened when you were 2 moons," Cherryfur mewed.
"What?! How evil!" Whitepaw meowed, looking at her mentor.
The two cats trained and trained.
"Tomorrow's the Gathering." Cherryfur was too hesitant to meow, but Whitepaw didn't notice.
"Will I go?" Whitepaw asked.
"Of course, young one." Cherryfur led her back to camp.
-The Gathering-
Cinderstar sat on her branch.
The leader of RiverClan, Icestar, stood tall and proud on hers.
Tigerstar sat proudly on his.
Ashstar of WindClan sat on his.
"Ashstar, do you want to go first?" Tigerstar meowed.
"Yes, thank you Tigerstar. WindClan is doing fine. We have a new litter of kits born to Goldclaw. Their names are Squirrelkit and Mousekit. We have a two new apprentice too, Firepaw and Morningpaw" Ashstar reported.
"Great news Ashstar. RiverClan is doing well. A few apprentices have been made warriors: Foxtail, Dovesong, Eclipsefire, and Sorrelfur. They are having vigil as we speak. We have a few new apprentices as well. Ivypaw, Mosspaw, Vixenpaw, Dapplepaw, and Heatherpaw." Icestar looked over to 5 apprentices who had their eyes shining.
"RiverClan seems great Icestar!" Tigerstar purred. "We as well have four new apprentices: Whitepaw, Foxpaw, Pebblepaw, and Snowpaw. Snowpaw is training to be a medicine cat."
The four apprentices sat straight and purred.
The ThunderClan cats gasped and turned to them.
"We have three new apprentices: Skypaw, Sandpaw, and Graypaw," Cinderstar mewed as if she hadn't heard the names.
-After the Gathering and in Whitepaw's dream-
"Whoa!" Whitepaw gasped, seeing a starry tortoiseshell she-cat in front of her.
"Hello, Whitepaw. I am Tawnypelt, a former warrior of ShadowClan. I need to tell you a prophecy. The dappled apprentice will rise. She will use a white fire and a gray fighter. These four 'paws shall save the clans from destruction But they will need a mist to guide them." The starry cat looked sadly at Whitepaw.
"Tawnypelt? But- Wait... Dappled apprentice? White fire? Gray fighter? WindClan has an apprentice named Firepaw! RiverClan has an apprentice named Dapplepaw. I'm Whitepaw. And ThunderClan has an apprentice named Graypaw! Are we the cats in the prophecy?!" Whitepaw asked, but Tawnypelt ignored her.
"You shall meet these other three apprentices tomorrow at midnight." Tawnypelt nodded her head to the white ShadowClan apprentice.
"Where and what danger?" Whitepaw yowled, but Tawnypelt faded.
"Whitepaw!" Pebblepaw hissed.
"Huh?" Whitepaw opened her eyes.
"Liontail wants us on Dawn Patrol!" Poppypaw, Liontail's daughter, beamed.
"Oh, cool. Let's go." Whitepaw got up.
The dappled apprentice will rise. She will use a white fire and a gray fighter. These four 'paws shall save the clans from destruction. But they will need a mist to guide them.
Whitepaw widen her eyes as the prophecy echoed in her mind.
"What's wrong?" Poppypaw asked.
The 7-moon-old apprentice blinked, tilting her head.
"A p-bad dream echoing in my mind. That's all." Whitepaw turned around and continued walking.
"You mean a prophecy? I have had some, you know? When I was a medicine cat apprentice for that moon?" Poppypaw narrowed her eyes.
Whitepaw sighed.
"Don't you dare tell anyone!" she threatened.
"I won't!" Poppypaw promised.
"Poppypaw! Whitepaw!" Liontail hissed.
"Coming!" The two apprentices scurried over.
Liontail nodded and turned towards his mate, Sorrelheart.
Sorrelheart looked at her daughter and gently licked her forehead.
"Let's go," Blueclaw, who seemed to be the leader of the patrol, mewed.
"Yes," Hawkfang licked his muzzle. "Let's."
Blueclaw and Hawkfang trotted out, tails entwined.
"Blueclaw will be in the nursery soon!" Sorrelheart joked.
Liontail purred and twined his tail with hers.
They followed.
Poppypaw rolled her eyes.
"I'm not doing that with you." She let out a small purr of laughter.
Whitepaw rolled her eyes and ran after Blueclaw and Hawkfang as Poppypaw ran after her parents.
The white apprentice saw a gray ThunderClan apprentice training with Cinderstar, whom she recognized from the Gathering.
"Graypaw!" Cinderstar scolded.
A gray fighter. Graypaw is the gray fighter! I must tell him he is part of a prophecy! But not with my patrol and Cinderstar around.
Graypaw lifted his head, his whiskers twitching.
"They're fine, Whitepaw." Blueclaw snapped Whitepaw from her thoughts. "They're on their side of the border."
Graypaw widened his eyes at the name and turned his head towards Whitepaw.
"I'm going to go hunting You continue practicing that move. Find me when you've mastered it." Cinderstar padded off.
"Let's go check the other border, come on Whitepaw." The patrol turned around and Hawkfang looked at her, flicking his tail as he spoke.
"I'm gonna hunt. Don't wait up!" Whitepaw lied.
Poppypaw perked her ears, but said nothing.
The warriors nodded and left, Poppypaw following.
"Whitepaw, is it?" Graypaw mewed.
"Yup! You're Graypaw, huh?" Whitepaw padded towards him, careful not to cross the border.
Graypaw nodded.
"I need to meet two other apprentices tonight, you?" He admitted.
"Yes, at midnight?" Whitepaw meowed.
"..." Graypaw fell silent.
"Yes or no?" Whitepaw demanded.
"Yes..." Graypaw blinked.
"Who visited you?" Whitepaw asked.
"Bramblestar! You?"
"Tawnypelt."
"Come through my territory." Whitepaw looked around.
Perfect! Fox-dung to hide his scent!
Graypaw looked around, then walked across the border.
"Come on! To the RiverClan border!" Whitepaw ran to the fox-dung, Graypaw following.
"This isn't the border!" he hissed.
"Of course, mouse-brain! It's fox-dung! Roll in it, it'll hide your scent." Whitepaw stamped her paw down angrily.
Graypaw, slowly, stepped in. With a push from Whitepaw, he fell in and was covered.
"Yuck!" The light gray tom hissed.
Whitepaw chuckled.
"What about your patrol?" Graypaw pointed out.
The patrol! I forgot! How are we going to get Dapplepaw now?
"They'll be back by the time we get there. Don't you dare steal prey!" Whitepaw hissed.
"I won't! But, I am hungry..." Graypaw looked at her.
"Fine. This one time. I'm not allowing it all the time just cause we're in some prophecy." After a few seconds she added, "Just this once."
"Yeah, yeah." Graypaw sniffed the air.
"No, mouse-brain!" Whitepaw mewed. "I'll hunt!"
Quickly, she got a mouse.
"We have to share. It's almost leaf-bare and prey is running low." Whitepaw nudged the mouse towards him and together, they shared.
After the quick snack, they set off.
"Here's the RiverClan border. How do we get Dapplepaw?" Whitepaw asked.
"Dapplepaw? Wha- Oh! The prophecy!" Graypaw blushed.
"Yes. You know, The dappled apprentice will rise?" Whitepaw shook her head.
"Look! There's a dappled she-cat! Could that be Dapplepaw?" Graypaw flicked his ears towards a training dappled she-cat.
"I guess. Look! She's coming closer! Hide!" Whitepaw shrieked.
"Why? Don't we want to talk to her?" Graypaw pointed out.
The RiverClan she-cat seemed closer.
"Hello?" she called.
Whitepaw and Graypaw held their breath.
"I'm Dapplepaw of RiverClan. I won't hurt you." The she-cat mewed.
Whitepaw and Graypaw sighed with relief and came out of their hiding places.
"Huh?" Dapplepaw wrinkled her nose. "What's that awful smell!"
"Fox-dung. I needed it. I'm Graypaw of ThunderClan-"
"Graypaw!" Dapplepaw echoed, relieved.
She turned to Whitepaw, eyes shining.
"You must be Whitepaw then! Of ShadowClan? Not WindClan, since they have no apprentice with your name. We all must be the cats in the prophecy! Firepaw must be the last!" Dapplepaw mewed.
"What about the mist that guides us?" Whitepaw asked.
Dapplepaw blinked.
Graypaw sighed.
"Who told you two the prophecy?" Dapplepaw changed the subject.
"Bramblestar, though he also had Squirrelflight with him, told me and Tawnypaw told her." Graypaw flicked his tail towards Whitepaw.
"Tawnypelt," Whitepaw corrected. "Who told you?"
"Feathertail!" Dapplepaw gasped.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Come on, both of you! Wash that fox-dung off and roll in some otter dung!" she meowed.
"Roll in more dung?" Graypaw hissed. "I just want a normal apprenticeship!"
"That all changes when your part of a prophecy!" Whitepaw mewed.
She rolled her eyes and crossed the border.
Graypaw followed her.
After cleaning off the dung, the two rolled in the otter dung Dapplepaw showed them.
"Now let's go get Firepaw!" Dapplepaw mewed.
"If he even is the other cat," Whitepaw pointed out.
"But, there isn't a Mistpaw in my clan. Yours?" Dapplepaw defended.
"No." Graypaw's irritated voice broke Whitepaw's heart.
No! I need to stop acting like this! Prophecy or not, we're in different clans. It won't work. Besides, I doubt he even likes me back.
"I guess your right." Whitepaw licked her muzzle, sighing sadly.
"Let's go to WindClan then." Dapplepaw sneakily led them to the WindClan border.
There, the flame-colored tom was hissing at a blue-gray she-cat.
The she-cat ducked, hissing with fury.
She smells of RiverClan! Dapplepaw doesn't seem to pleased to see this she-cat.
"Watersplash!" Firepaw hissed.
"Enough for today. We'll work more later." The she-cat parted her jaws in a yawn.
"You tired?
"Yeah. Just with the changing clans thing. I'm fine though. You keep practicing that." Watersplash walked away.
Firepaw sighed and flicked his ears.
He perked his ears and sniffed the air.
"A RiverClan cat! And some... Dung of some sort? Hmm..." He turned around, eyes widening.
"We're only three apprentices. One from each clan except yours." Dapplepaw shook her head, stepping a little closer.
Whitepaw and Graypaw stepped a little behind her.
"W-what?!" Firepaw was about to draw his lips back in a snarl, but Whitepaw cleaned her pelt and Graypaw copied.
"I'm Graypaw. That's Whitepaw, and that's Dapplepaw." Graypaw pointed his tail at each cat as he named them. "And your Firepaw!"
"Y-y-P-p-prophecy!" Firepaw stammered.
"Yes, you are right. But, we don't have a mist-real mist or actual creature named Mist- to guide us," Whitepaw mewed.
"O-okay." Firepaw smiled.
"We must meet on the island. No Gathering, just Prophecy apprentices meeting."
