Soo. . . Archangel of ShadowClan here, hellow, how are you guys doing today? :D This is my first story, and I'm only getting used to this, and to be honest, I think it's kinda hard to publish a story. . . or chapters. . . ANYWAYYYS. . . You might notice that I like to space out my ellipses (What you guys usually see as this: ...), and that's just the way I do it. So please don't hate, it's just a habit I have xD So, on to my first chapter! Woo!


Voices meowed soothingly around the little kit. She sensed blurred, dancing spots of light filtering through her shut-tight eyelids, but she didn't know what anything was. The kit only thought in colors and jumbled emotions. She only knew that she was hungry, and blind instinct triggered her movement. She squirmed and mewled, her weak little voice barely rising over the din. She heard a cat screaming in pain. . . but she didn't know what pain was. She was lifted by her scruff gently, and placed by another body's belly. She scented. . . milk! She suckled busily, not noticing that two other tiny bodies were soon next to her, doing the same. They nudged each other around, crying for more milk. The last thing she heard, even though she didn't understand, was: "My kits. . . Welcome to ShadowClan."

Five-ish moons later. . .

"Come on! Stop being such a slowpoke, Shadekit!" Archkit trotted ahead, leading her two siblings around ShadowClan's camp. Her little brother and also the youngest of Blazefang's kits, Shadekit, struggled to keep up, his shorter legs flailing wildly, barely skimming through the soft pine needles of the forest camp. Leopardkit was Archkit's other little brother. He had a glossy, smooth pelt not unlike a leopard's, and amber eyes, hence his name. Shadekit was a pure-black tom with striking dark blue eyes, and Archkit was told that she was a nice shade of silver, gleaming in the sunlight, with strange white whorls of a lighter silver-gray wavy tabby stripes. Her eyes were mismatched, and icy blue orb on the right and a summer-green one on the left. Mother, known to the Clan as Blazefang, said they were very pretty, but Archkit doubted that. They were, after all, mismatched, and mismatched things were usually deformed and ugly.

Archkit's thoughts wandered off, and her paws stopped moving. A spotted yellow body crashed into Archkit's, and she fell over with a yelp. They tumbled through the camp, and skidded to a halt in a den that smelled like. . . The ShadowClan leader, Arcticstar! "We have to get out of here, before we get caught!" Archkit squeaked in alarm.

"Why?" Leopardkit's amber eyes widened, confused. "It's just a den, right?"'

"Not just any den," A deep, powerful voice rumbled behind the two kits, with an undertone of warning. "My den." Arcticstar stepped into the shadowy den, his massive white fur outlined with the sun behind him, making him seem like a majestic creature sent down from StarClan itself. "May I ask why you two kits are in here?"

"I-I wanted to explore," Archkit stammered, putting a false note of courage into her voice. Leopardkit straightened up next to her. "I wanted to know all of camp before out apprenticeship." Archkit was careful not to mention Leopardkit, and was prepared to take all of the blame. Arcticstar raised a skeptical eyebrow, and replied with vigor, his voice a low meow.

"You will have plenty of time for that. Archkit, is it? Your brother may go back to the nursery, but I'd like to talk to you alone. Is that okay with you?" The statement didn't really seem like a question, only a hidden demand for the answer, "Yes, Arcticstar." Archkit lowered her head, ashamed and terrified for what was probably coming next. Something bad, of course. Leopardkit scurried out of the den, crawling under Arcticstar's legs back into the sunshine. Her brother turned around, shooting Archkit a look full of relief. . . and fright.

"You might be wondering why I'm keeping you here for a little longer than your littermate, little Archkit." Arcticstar paused, waiting for an answer from the trembling kit in front of him, but never got one. He sighed, ruffling Archkit's pelt that was already dusty and sticking up in parts, his blue eyes glittering with an emotion Archkit couldn't read. Arcticstar leaned in close, and whispered, "I believe you have lots of potential, little kit. Just like your father, Sharpfang. He's deputy, did you know?" Archkit shook her head, too scared to respond. Her father? The great ShadowClan deputy she had heard so many stories about from the elders? Archkit heard the white warrior in front of her meow under his breath.

"StarClan, kits these days are so clueless sometimes. . ." Archkit straightened up, slightly more indignant, her fur bristling up even more.

"I'm not clueless!" She protested. Arcticstar looked startled that she heard, then a bit embarrassed.

"Back to what I wanted to ask you before," Arcticstar quickly changed the topic again. His eyes, deep pools of wisdom, shone excitedly. "I haven't been a mentor in a very long time. . . And I'm asking you if you'd like to be my apprentice."