Disclaimer: So obviously my partner (UltimateKuranQueen) and I do not own warriors. We do however own our OCs. This applies to all the chapters in this series. Thank you! Enjoy StarClan says so :)

The Beginning

"I need your help please," the cream and dirty white queen mewed desperately. She crossed hesitantly over the tunnel that the water that surrounded the camp flowed through. Her stomach was large with kits and the warriors standing guard immediately rushed to her aid, or so she hoped. Her stomach heaved as she gasped for breath. She had come a long way from her nest already having been thrown out by one group in the pine forest.

"Step aside," an unusually spotted and golden she-cat told the two toms surrounding the queen. "What is your purpose for coming here?"

"Please help me. I have left my housefolk and I have nowhere to go."

"You're a kittypet?" a light gray she-cat with lighter blue eyes asked from behind the spotted she-cat.

"Yes," the queen breathed barely understanding what she meant.

"Leopardstar she is with kits we should help her," the gray cat whispered.

"I believe you're right," she agreed, "Mudfoot escort her to the nursery and make sure one of the apprentices puts fresh moss in there for her."

"Yes Leopardstar," the light brown tom said with an obedient nod of his head. He padded off towards a bush on the opposite side of the camp.

"Thank you so much you've saved mine and my kits lives," the queen smiled.

"What is your name?" Leopardstar asked

"My housefolk called me Sarah," the queen replied.

"Well Sarah you can stay until after your kits are born and healthy enough to travel," Leopardstar said "Mudfoot will make sure you are taken care of."

A moon later Sarah lay in the hollowed thorn bush that made up the medicine cats den heaving as her kits fought to join the world. "You're doing well Sarah," Mothwing, a dapple golden she-cat, said. "Just a few more pushes and it'll be over."

Sarah nodded unable to speak around the stick she was biting on. Mothwing didn't lie, after a couple more strong pushes from Sarah four kits were born into the world one right after the other. Overjoyed Sarah began cleaning them eager to hear their first cries for milk. Only two cries came from the kits. A small cream and dirty white kit with reddish brown stripes and a large red brown tom with dirty white stripes cried their noses wiggling trying to find the source of the smell of milk. "Mothwing something's wrong!" Sarah cried in dismay

Mothwing sniffed closely at the two other kits, one a small cream and white she-cat. The other a slightly larger red brown and dirty white she-cat. Though they were healthy in appearance their mouths never cried for milk or mewed at all, their eyes never opened, and their paws never moved. They had left the world before even coming into it. Mothwing shook her head sadly at Sarah wincing as her mournful cries filled the den. Mothwing left the den giving Sarah a moment alone with her kits.

Soon Leopardstar entered the medicine den having heard about the kits. "I'm very sorry Sarah," she said sympathetically, "I wish it wasn't so."

"It's not your fault," Sarah whispered brokenly, "they just weren't meant to be here with me."

"Did you name them?" Leopardstar asked softly.

"I did, it seems only right that they have proper names. The small cream and white she-cat I've decided to name Smallkit and the red brown and white she-cat Marshkit."

"It seems that StarClan has gotten two beautiful new additions," Leopardstar murmured.

"Leopardstar do you think my kits could be raised here as one of you?" Sarah whispered.

"You will not take them with you?"

"My housefolk would never allow kittens into their nest, that's why I left. If I had to leave my kits anywhere it would be here where they could be raised with others to look over them and hope for a good life even in death."

"The life of a warrior is not easy," Leopardstar warned, "it is filled with many hard times and we have to fight for our survival everyday."

"It wouldn't be any easier for them if they were to be left to fend for themselves outside the safety of a housefolk nest and I am not skilled enough to take care of the all of us without my housefolk's help," Sarah explained.

"You could always stay with them in the clan," Leopardstar offered.

"I love the way of life you have set up here but it is not my place. I am soft and have no hope in learning to fight or in being able to hunt for food."

"Very well if you are sure," Leopardstar sighed somewhat disappointingly, "you can stay until their apprentice ceremony once they've reached their sixth moon."

"Thank you Leopardstar."

"You haven't told me the names of the other two," Leopardstar commented curiosity getting the better of her.

"I think I'll name the tom Bengalkit and the she-cat Breezekit," Sarah said nuzzling the mewing kit.

Leopardstar offered the kits a welcoming smile, "Welcome to RiverClan Bengalkit and Breezekit."

Breezepaw's POV

"Are you ready Breezekit?" my mother asked taking a brief pause before she continued to ceaselessly groom me. My brother sat in the corner of the bush that made up the nursery already having received his vigorous grooming. I knew she was only trying to make sure we were presentable for the clan leader, Leopardstar, but her grooming made me shake. Or perhaps the slight shake almost shiver I felt had nothing to do with her grooming but the overbearing possibility of my future that loomed over me. Having turned six moons old a couple nights ago my brother and I were now expected to take the first step in becoming warriors. We were about to be assigned someone to watch over us and teach us the ways of the clan until we knew them well enough to take our warrior names and begin protecting the clan even at the cost of our lives. This was our apprentice ceremony and I was nervous.

"Of course I'm ready," I choked not at all fooling my mother. Though she was not clan-born she seemed to understand my nervous. Or maybe it was because she wasn't clan-born that she understood.

"I'm so proud of you my daughter," she mewed softly with a smile upon her cream face, "and of you my son."

"Thank you mother," I whispered back before walking what I hope was calmly out of the nursery my brother following confidently behind. His nerves never seemed to get the best of him and he always appeared cool and confident. Of course and sharp tongue he also seemed to have as nothing could be said without a witty retort from him following.

Upon seeing us Leopardstar jumped onto the tall jagged rock that loomed over her den. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a clan meeting," she yowled. I sat on the edge of the clearing further away from the cluster of cats that took seats nearer to the rock. "Breezekit and Bengalkit come forward," she ordered. I padded forward shakily trying to keep from the stares of the cats around me. I knew not all of them accepted and understood why I was becoming a clan cat having not really been clan born. I wanted to avoid any judging glares I might receive because of this. My brother seemed proud as he walked with his muzzle held high. I finally stopped just beneath the rock, far enough away that I could be seen by Leopardstar but close enough that I wasn't near any of the other cats. "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Breezepaw, your mentor will be Mudfoot. I hope Mudfoot will pass down all he knows on to you."

"Mudfoot step forward," she instructed a light brown tom with a darker brown underbelly and feet. The way his underfur was patterned and colored it looked like he was permanently covered in mud from his toes to his muzzle. We turned to face each other and I hesitantly looked into his light green eyes. They held nothing but warmth and my nerves began to calm. If only one clan cat liked me then I would be happy because one was better than none.

"Mudfoot you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have learned much from Rippletail and you have shown yourself to be kind and loyal. You will be the mentor of Breezepaw and I expect that you will pass down all you know to Breezepaw." Mudfoot stretched his muzzle out to touch noses with mine and for a moment I forgot my worries of being unaccepted by the clan. Echoes of my new name sounded throughout the camp. Though I was unsure of whether they were sincere chants of acceptance but I took it, at least no one outright hated me.

Leopardstar waited for the echoes to die down before continuing. "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Bengalpaw, your mentor will be Beechfur. I hope Beechfur will pass down all he knows on to you."

"Beechfur step forward," she instructed a light brown tome.

"Beechfur you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have learned much from Blackclaw and you have shown yourself to be loyal and strong. You will be the mentor of Bengalpaw and I expect that you will pass down all you know to Bengalpaw. Echoes of my brother's named filled the camp just as they had with mine accepting him into their ranks if not their hearts just as they had with me.

Leopardstar jumped down from highrock adjourning the meeting. I looked to Mudfoot with expectancy of what to do next. "Go see your mother then we can begin your training," he said smiling kindly. His warmth and kindness already made me like him and I smiled back. My brother heading towards the wide flat rock that jut out from the ground. I padded off to see my mother probably for the last time before she left.

"You're so grown up now," she said her eyes shining with unshod tears.

"I'm still six moons just like I was this morning," I said with a laugh.

"Yes but now you and your brother are apprentices and that's a big step."

I smiled at her knowing I was going to miss her logic. I was also going to miss how sweet and determined she was and how she was selfless in making sure we were taken care of before she worried about herself.

"Do you have to leave?" I whispered hopefully though I already knew the answer.

"My place isn't here, I wouldn't be able to help in any way. That's not what this clan needs," she answered.

"But you could learn!" I reasoned excitedly almost shouting. I was so lost in the fact that I wanted her to stay that I never thought of whether or not that was what she wanted.

"Breezepaw I am a kittypet, I will always be a kittypet. That is where my heart lies. I'm so sorry I can't stay here with you and your brother but the best place for you is with the clan and the best place for me is with my housefolk," she said strictly. I had known this from the beginning but it was still hard to hear. "It's not because I don't love you and your brother, it's simply just what's best for all of us."

"I understand," I mewed, "I just don't know what I'm going to do when I need advice or need someone to calm me when I'm nervous."

"My sweet, kindhearted kit you will always be able to come see me if you ever need me. But there was a reason I decided the clan would be a good place for you and not let you and your brother live as loners in the forest," she sighed with a tired smile.

"What reason is that?" my brother said entering the nursery to join me in saying goodbye to our mother. He struggled the most with the fact that our mother was leaving. He told me she was just abandoning us because she didn't want to take care of us. I felt that he was just at much of a loss at what to do without her in our everyday lives as I was.

"When the clan took me I ended up learning quite a bit about their way of life. So much so that I understood that at the end of the day they all looked out for each other. When you two were the only two to survive out of the litter I felt that I needed to find some place for the both of you to grow up and live a happy life that didn't depend on housefolk wanting to keep you or not. I knew I didn't have the strength and skill to provide for all three of us myself in the forest, I doubt I would be able to take care of just myself honestly. So I decided to let you two grow up here and learn to live as these cats do because then I would know that you were taken care of, not alone, and free."

"Thank you for making the best decision you could," I offered rubbing my head against her chin. I felt at ease now knowing why my mother was leaving us and her departing no longer held the bitter edge it once had.

"I guess it could be worse for us," my brother replied still somewhat bitter. I knew this was as close as he would get to forgiving our mother for her decision.

"Thank you both for finally understanding," our mother smiled, "I will leave now so that you can begin your paths to becoming warriors for this clan. Remember I am always there in my housefolk's nest if you need me. And please if nothing else, watch over each other " She wrapped her long cream tail around the both of us enjoying our final moments of shared warmth before we went our separate paths. "I love you both so much and I hope you both do well here in Riverclan."

We both purred our affections and wished her a safe trip before she left the camp and our lives. Part of my heart went with her but I knew now as I always did that this was my place. I was meant to become and warrior of Riverclan and serve and protect it with everything I had to offer. And it was time I started my training.

A/N

"Hi again its me Breezepaw. Just thought I'd tell you that if you like this story there are several short stories, drabbles if you will, on my friend's (who we'll meet next chapter) creator's page. Go visit UltimateKuranQueen's page for that and let MelodyStarrWH (my creator) know how you liked (or disliked) the story. Read and Review fellow clanmates Read and Review."

*Bengalpaw from nearby* "Also if you like the cover art go check out MelodyStarrWH's Deviantart profile. You can find her under MelodyHeart-pony"