A.N.: This story begins basically near the end/in between Firestar's Quest and Midnight. I was rereading Firestar's Quest and thinking... Jayfeather's blind. How come Longtail couldn't become a medicine cat? So I hope you enjoy my AU... of what would have happened if things had gone differently. ~12HockeyChick21


ThunderClan

Leader: Firestar- ginger tom with a flame colored pelt

Deputy: Graystripe- long-haired gray tom

Medicine Cat(s): Cinderpelt- dark gray she-cat
Apprentice: Longtail

Warriors:
Mousefur- small, dusky brown she-cat

Dustpelt- dark brown tabby tom
Apprentice: Sorrelpaw

Cloudtail- long-haired white tom
Apprentice: Rainpaw

Brackenfur- long-legged golden brown tabby tom

Thornclaw- golden brown tabby tom
Apprentice: Sootpaw

Ashfur- pale gray tom with darker flecks and dark blue eyes

Brambleclaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Longtail- pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, blind and training to be medicine cat

Sorrelpaw- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Rainpaw- dark gray tom with blue eyes

Sootpaw- lighter gray tom with amber eyes

Queens and Kits:

Goldenflower- pale ginger she-cat, oldest nursery queen

Ferncloud- pale gray she-cat with darker flecks and green eyes, mother to Dustpelt's kits:
Spiderkit- long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes
Shrewkit- small dark brown tom with amber eyes

Brightheart- white she-cat with ginger patches, mother to Cloudtail's kit:
Whitekit- white she-cat with green eyes

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat, mother to Firestar's kits:
Squirrelkit- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes
Leafkit- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

Elders:

Frostfur- beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

Dappletail- once pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan

Speckletail- pale tabby she-cat


Longtail awoke to the blackness of his sightlessness. It had only been about about a moon since he'd lost his sight and he sometimes still forgot...

"How are you doing, Longtail?" he heard Cinderpelt's mew. The ThunderClan medicine cat had been caring for him since the accident.

"Alright I guess... As alright as I can be." the tabby replied, licking a paw and drawing it between his ears. He heard Cinderpelt bustling around with her herbs.

"Longtail... I've been thinking about something for a while... something you can do to help the clan without having to be a warrior." her meow was muffled, so Longtail imagined her mouth was full of herbs.

"What is that?" Longtail asked, unable to hide his excitement. He had barely done anything in the moon he was confined to the den.

"How would you feel about becoming my apprentice?" Longtail didn't respond for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He had never seen himself as a medicine cat, but perhaps this was what StarClan wanted him to do...

"An apprentice? Would I have to give up my warrior name?" he finally asked Cinderpelt.

"Oh, no no. Don't worry. You remember my mentor Yellowfang? She had been a warrior before she realized she was meant to be a medicine cat. Her mentor Sagewhisker took Yellowfang as an apprentice, leaving her warrior name." Cinderpelt assured him. Longtail kneaded the ground with his paws in uncertainty.

"I understand that you aren't sure about this. I can talk to Firestar about it when-"

Before Cinderpelt could finish, Longtail heard the rustling of ferns outside the den and his old apprentice Sootpaw's scent hit his nose.

"Cinderpelt, Longtail! Firestar and Sandstorm have returned." he meowed.

"Oh, good. I must talk to him." Longtail heard Cinderpelt leave and he felt some soft moss being lined in his nest.

"I brought you some new moss." Sootpaw purred, removing the old moss.

"Thank you, Sootpaw. How is your training with Thornclaw going?" Longtail asked.

"Good! Thornclaw is a good mentor, but I miss you. How are you feeling?"

Longtail bent back to get an itch at the base of his tail before replying.

"I'm feeling fine. My eyes don't seem to hurt anymore."

"That's good." Sootpaw mewed, still fixing Longtail's nest. Longtail pricked his ears.

"Would you like me to move so you can-"

"No need, Longtail. You're fine. I'm almost done." Sootpaw meowed cheerfully. Longtail was happy his ex apprentice came to see him almost every day. He would have gone stir crazy without any visitors for a moon, even if Cinderpelt was kind to him.

"Are you hungry?" Sootpaw asked him. Longtail shook his head.

"No, thank you, Sootpaw."

"Longtail!" he heard Firestar meow. He scented the leader and Cinderpelt coming into the den.

"Greeting, Firestar. Glad to have you back." Longtail dipped his head.

"Cinderpelt has shared a brilliant idea with me. I would have just offered for you to move into the elders' den... but would you rather train as a medicine cat?" Longtail felt Firestar's tail brush his shoulder comfortingly and his leader's meow told him that he'd be supportive of him no matter what the tabby chose. He'd rather not join the elders so soon. Longtail took a breath and forced a smile.

"I will train with Cinderpelt." he meowed.

"Very well. Come now." Firestar nosed him to his paws and Cinderpelt led him out of the den.

"You'll get to a point where you will be able to sense the ground and all the world with your paws. You won't need someone to lead you around forever." Cinderpelt

murmured into his ear. Longtail nodded to her gratefully. He sat down beside her, imagining himself underneath the Highrock. He heard Firestar's paws click on the stone as he jumped up.

"Cats of ThunderClan! Everyone old enough to catch their own prey please come to this clan meeting!"

Longtail could hear the rustling of the surrounding dens and could feel the vibrations of their paws on the ground as they gathered.

"Sandstorm and I have returned... and now I must announce something. Longtail! Cinderpelt!" Firestar meowed. Longtail felt Cinderpelt's nose on his flank and the two made their way up the Highrock.

"Longtail has decided he will train under Cinderpelt's teaching to become the clan's next medicine cat!" Firestar called. Cinderpelt pressed his nose against Longtail's, so Longtail straightened himself up a bit, his fur warming with embarrassment just when he had been made an apprentice the first time. He heard the murmurs of his clan mates, but then they seemed understanding and supportive.

"Longtail, Longtail!" he heard them chanting for him. He smiled.

"Come... you have much to learn." Cinderpelt meowed, and they returned to her den... now their den.


A.N.: Hope you enjoyed it! If you find this interesting, let me know by leaving a review! Thanks for reading! ~12HockeyChick21