On a snowy leaf-bare day, two kits were born.
Their names were Blackkit and Blossomkit.
Blossomkit was a red tabby with golden eyes.
Blackkit was a black tom with a white tail tip and green eyes.
They were best friends until the ceremony.
Blackpaw's mother, Hazeltail died of unknown causes.
Blackpaw did not know who his father was, so he was now an orphan.
Alone, he shut everyone out of his life.
Rosepetal, Blossompaw's mother, died fighting a fox.
Foxleap, too grief stricken to live anymore, died one day, sick and weak.
Blossompaw was now alone.
But there was something else the two had to bear.
A prophecy.
Amber's gaze burns the forest.
The fire blossom will light up the path,
The black breeze will blow its wrath.
And only the black blossom can save the forest
And they will be together, forever.
Blossompaw opened her golden eyes. They looked dull.
She stretched. Her fur looked unclean.
She yawned. She looked unfed.
She padded out into the dark and gloomy day. She looked weak.
But there was still a small flame burning inside her.
"Hey, Blossompaw!"
Blossompaw turned around and saw her mentor, Toadstep, soaking wet and panting. Next to him was a wet bundle of fur she realized was Cherrypaw.
"We fell in the lake by accident," he wheezed. "I think I'm going to get checked on by Jayfeather-I'm frozen right now. Lionblaze can take you out training, and you'll go with Whitewing and Blackpaw. S-sorry, I'm really not feeling well right now." And Toadstep shuffled off with Cherrypaw in the direction of Jayfeather's den.
Blossompaw wasn't really listening. When her mentor had said that she was going training with Blackpaw, her belly lurched and she could hear roaring in her ears.
But you like him a lot, a small voice said in her ear. Shouldn't you be happy that you're going training with him?
Still...Blossompaw lifted her head to the cloudy sky and thought about that day.
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"Hey, Blackpaw!" Blossompaw was calling. "Toadstep and I are going out to explore the territory! Can you and Whitewing come with us?"
It was a sunny autumn day, and Blossompaw and Blackpaw had just been apprenticed.
"Of course!" Blackpaw had answered eagerly without Whitewing's approval. The white warrior just sighed and shook her head, but she let out a purr of amusement.
The four cats left the camp and padded outside, the apprentices naturally wanting to touch and know everything.
Then they emerged to the great Sycamore. Blossompaw's jaw dropped to the ground, and Blackpaw forgot to breathe.
"I feel so...tiny," Blossompaw had mewed in a small voice.
"Same..." Blackpaw panted, trying to recover his breath.
Toadstep purred with amusement. "You're going to learn to climb trees later. Give it a try right now. But don't go past the first branch you see," he added quickly, after Whitewing stared at him, looking horrified.
"Got it!" Blossompaw and Blackpaw ran to the tree, eager to climb.
Blossompaw was the first one to try. She jumped up, her paws scrabbling on the bark, and actually managed to get pretty far before she yowled and fell down. She hit the ground, and a pile of leaves blew up. When they settled, Blackpaw couldn't find Blossompaw.
"Where are you?" he had cried. A red tabby paw shot out of the leaves and waved in the air. Blossompaw popped up, giggling.
"I'm right here, Blackpaw!"
Blackpaw let out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan. Now, it's my turn!" He unsheathed his claws and leapt onto the bark, and surprisingly managed to hold on. Slowly, bit by bit, he slithered up the tree. He landed on the first branch, and Blossompaw cheered. "YAY! Blackpaw, you made it!"
Blackpaw grinned and padded to the end of the branch. "I did it! Whitewing! Toadstep! Blossompaw! Look at me!"
"Be careful, you-" Whitewing began, taking a step forward, but Blackpaw had already begun to fall to the ground.
Toadstep bolted forward. Blackpaw hit the ground before the branch, which was steadily coming down faster, and Toadstep grasped his scruff in his mouth and tried to tug him out of the leaves. But Blackpaw did not budge. "My paws are stuck in something!" he cried.
And then, Blossompaw saved Blackpaw's life.
She darted forward and barreled into Blackpaw, causing him and Toadstep to fly backwards. The branch came down with a crash, and dirt flew everywhere.
"Blossompaw!" Blackpaw cried desperately, being dragged away by Toadstep.
When the dust cleared, Blossompaw was not there. Whitewing hurried forward and dug around, and then she came up with a dusty Blossompaw, her eyes closed tight.
When the warrior turned around, though, she gasped. "Blackpaw...what-what is that?"
Blackpaw looked at his paws and screeched.
His paws were tangled in the fur of his mother, Hazeltail. She had a peaceful look on her face, as if she was sleeping, but she couldn't be, without her chest moving. Her fur was quite tidy and there were no scratches on her.
Blackpaw freed his paws and backed away, eyes wide. "What..." he was lost for words.
Blossompaw opened her eyes, then got up and shook out her fur. "Whew, Blackpaw...you owe me one, but what-" She stopped as she caught sight of Hazeltail. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. "What happened?" she whispered.
"You...you killed her!" Blackpaw suddenly looked up with angry eyes at Blossompaw and she took a step back, eyes wide. I'm innocent! She wanted to scream. But the words got lost on the way to her mouth and she said, "Why-how could I have killed her?"
Whitewing was now staring at Blackpaw, eyes narrowed. "Watch your mouth. Blossompaw just became an apprentice, she has no grudge against Hazeltail, she saved your life, and YOU'RE the one who made the branch spilt and fall. And besides, Hazeltail must've been laid there on purpose and killed, because she wouldn't be hiding or sleeping under a pile of leaves!"
"Shut up!" Blackpaw hissed. "I've heard enough!" He whirled around and dashed away, while Blossompaw called his name over and over again.
Blossompaw stared after his disappearing form, unable to understand why he was acting like that. Whitewing seemed to read her mind and she laid her tail over her shoulders. "He's grieving," she murmured. "He'll recover soon."
Blossompaw nodded, not really hearing what the white she-cat had said.
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But Blackpaw hadn't recovered, not even after another three moons.
Blossompaw blinked and snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the sky. "Rosepetal, Foxleap, why is my life like this?" she murmured, then turned around and left to go find Lionblaze, Whitewing, and Blackpaw.