Streamblossom's

Secret

By, Hannah Cho

Special thanks to Kiana Honma and Erin Hunter.

Prologue

"Do you wish to become a Medicine cat and promise to uphold the Medicine cat code?" A brown cat asked the silver red, orange streaked cat. "Yes, I do." The she-cat said confidently. The brown cat and the other cats nodded their approval. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I look upon this apprentice who has trained to follow the paths of a medicine cat. From this moment forward, she is a full medicine cat, and shall be known as Streamblossom." Streamblossom touched her nose to the stone, and fell into a veeeeeeery deeeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeeeeep…

"We have to go now, Streamblossom. We'll see you at the next gathering." The silver tom said. "Okay, thanks Stormfrost. See you." Silverblossom replied to the tom. Grasswing was beginning to be irritated. "I'm going back to camp. You take too long to get home, so take your time. Try to find some more cloud blooms. We're running low on that, and on burdock root." The tom called over his massive shoulder as he trotted away in the moonlight. Streamblossom chatted with another medicine cat, Talonclaw, who used to be a warrior. He congratulated her and left for his own clan, and Streamblossom grinned. I like to being a real medicine cat already! She thought.

Suddenly, a twig snapped. It's coming from… Reedclan! She thought as she scanned the area. A shadow padded into the moonlight. The cat was gold and orange, and he reeked of Reedclan.

Chapter 1

Streamblossom walked over the sleeping body of Grasswing and off into the clearing, unnoticed. Quietly, she crept past Cometstar's den and past Bluebell, who was on watchout duty. She slid out of the camp, and bounded off to the forest. The night before, the gathering, Sunstreak had told her to meet him near the abandoned twoleg nest. Streamblossom ran to where Sunstreak had told her to meet.

" You came," the tom meowed into her ear.

" I will always come for you," she breathed. Inside her, she felt a jolt of pain. " But we can never be together. " she fell away from the warrior.

" Why not?" Sunstreak asked.

" We are from different clans, and I'm a medicine cat." She explained.

" We still can."
" How?"

" In secret."

Streamblossom lay herself against the tom. " Yes. I will."

The two cats watched the view of the rising sun.

" But do not tell anyone." Sunstreak meowed. " That you're having kits."

" I won't." Streamblossom meowed. " Now I must go. Grasswing should be waking up anytime now."

Streamblossom walked a bit with the tom, until they came upon the border line.

" Now I must go. I won't forget, my mate." Streamblossom touched her nose to the tom, before racing back into camp.

Grasswing was waiting for her.

" Where have you been?" He asked.

" I was searching for herbs all night. You know it's almost Leaf-Bare? Trying to keep the herbs in stock." Streamblossom lied.

Grasswing nodded his head curtly. " You better get to sleep." He meowed.

Streamblossom walked to where her nest laid, and lay down. Soon, she was asleep.

" Oh, Streamblossom," a cat meowed. It was Streakwind.

Streamblossom looked up. " I know I made a poor choice, with Sunstreak.

Streakwind's eyes were glazed with pity and sorrow. " From now on, you have a punishment that you bear. You have to make things right."

" Blood will fill the forest unless a river rises and washes it away." Streakwind meowed.

Streamblossom yowled as the she-cat faded from her. She woke up.

" Blood will fill the forest unless a river rises and washes it away." She thought.

" Streamblossom!" Grasswing was meowing.

Streamblossom snapped away from her thoughts.

" I'm going to find some herbs. Take care of Woodpecker while I'm gone!"

Streamblossom turned toward Woodpecker. A few days ago, the young tom had gotten into a fight with a fox, and was wounded very badly. Streamblossom sighed. The wounds were terrible, and she felt as if the tom would never heal. Streamblossom walked into the store and took out some cobwebs, and carefully wrapped the fresh wound on Woodpecker's stomach. The cobwebs were stained immediately with dark, scarlet blood.

" Oh StarClan! Don't let him die! He did nothing wrong. " Streamblossom prayed silently to the stars.

Streamblossom went back to the store, only to her horror that there was no more cobwebs left. She stepped outside of the Medicine Den, and yowled to Cinderpaw.

" Get me as many cobwebs you can find! Quick! It's Woodpecker's only hope."

Eyes wide with horror, the apprentice dashed off in search of cobwebs. Woodpecker's breathing was getting shallower and shallower, and Streamblossom breathed a sigh of relief when her mentor appeared in the entrance of the medicine den.

" Is Woodpecker okay?" He asked, but was cut off when he let out a hacking cough.

Streamblossom watched in horror as her old mentor fell to the ground, limp.

" Grasswing!" She yowled. " Cometstar! Help! Grasswing! He's dead,"

Cometstar ran over to the medicine cat. " I'll miss you, my friend," she pressed her nose into the old cat's flank. " Lay him out," meowed Sunlight, an elder.

The cats dragged the brown cat out into the clearing. Cometstar leapt onto Clan Rock.

" Today, a tragedy has occurred." She meowed when the cats had seated themselves under the rock. " Grasswing has died. We shall sit vigil for him, but mourn for moons to come!"

Streamblossom dragged herself back into the medicine den, with a bundle of cobwebs dangling from her mouth.

Carefully, she wrapped the cobweb onto Woodpecker's wounds. She then trotted to the back of the store to get burdock root for infection. The den seemed lonely and quiet without Grasswing. Streamblossom sighed. " It isn't fair!" She suddenly hissed.

" What?" Woodpecker lifted an eye.

Streamblossom lifted her gaze at Woodpecker in amazement. " You're conscious!"

" Yes."

" You'll be fine, but you have to stay in my den for a couple of moons." Streamblossom meowed to him.

" Okay." Woodpecker mewed. " When can I go back to warrior duties?"

" Not until I say so." Answered Streamblossom. She yawned. " Tonight I'm going to the Moon Stone," she mewed. " Woodpecker, don't do anything. Rest."

Chapter 2

Cometstar poked her nose into the den. " Streamblossom. I need to talk to you." She meowed calmly . Streamblossom followed the leader into her den.

" What?" She asked.

Cometstar sighed. " It's about Grasswing's death. I-I just don't know how we can manage without him. It's almost Leaf-bare. We need more medicine cats!"

Streamblossom stared. " Well, Rainkit is six moons old. You said to me she might become an apprentice tomorrow."

" Yes, go on."

" She had an interest on herbs and healing. " she explained. " She could be my apprentice."

Cometstar thought to herself, before saying, " Very well. I'll talk to Rainkit and Sunlightstreak about this matter."

" No. I'll do it. I can handle talking to her." Streamblossom meowed, before heading out of the den and bounding into the nursery.

" Hi, Streamblossom!" Streamblossom was greeted by Sunslightstreak's kits.

" Hello, Sunlightstreak. Hello, kits!" Streamblossom mewed. " Sunlightstreak, can we have a moment? Take Rainkit too."

Sunlightstreak flinched, but prodded the sleeping she-kit awake.

" Wha-what?" Rainkit mewed.

" Streamblossom wants to talk to us."

Rainkit padded over to Streamblossom. " Hi! Any more herbs you'll teach me about?"

" Yes. You'll learn soon enough. If your mother agrees." Streamblossom mewed.

" You want her to be your apprentice?" Sunlightstreak meowed in amazement.

" Yes. she has shown us an interest in herbs. Anyway, it's almost Leaf- bare and we need more medicine cats."

" I-I'm not so sure!" Sunlightstreak stammered. After a few moments, she spoke up. "Yes. For the sake of my clan."

" Great! I'll tell Cometstar. So get ready for her apprentice ceremony."

Streamblossom dashed out of the den, crashing into Cometstar.

" She's agreed!" Streamblossom mewed.

Cometstar leapt onto the Clan Rock. " Let all cats of CometClan, gather here." The cats gathered quickly at the clearing.

" Streamblossom, Rainkit. Come up." The two cats padded up to the leader.

" Rainkit has shown us a great wisdom on herbs and healing. She is my apprentice. Rainpaw." Streamblossom meowed. " StarClan has looked upon this apprentice."

" Rainpaw!Rainpaw!Rainpaw!Rainpaw!Rainpaw!Rainpaw!" The clan yowled the new apprentice's name.

As the cheering died down, Rainpaw and Streamblossom headed back to the medicine den.

" Rainpaw. I'll show you some of the most basic herbs." Streamblossom lead the young apprentice to the store.

Rainpaw padded after the she-cat.

" This is sorrel. You chew it up and apply it to a cat's wound if they have scratches." Streamblossom mewed, handing the leaves to her apprentice. " Now, I want you to see if there are any cats with sore paws. Bring them to the den."

Rainpaw ran out of the den, and almost crashed into Moondarkness, who was coming in.

" Hi, Rainpaw. My paws were scratched when I was hunting."

" Great!" Rainpaw mewed, and Streamblossom nodded. Moondarkness was confused. "How is that 'Great'?" She asked as he entered the den.

" Chew the sorrel leaves into a pulp." Streamblossom meowed to her apprentice. Rainpaw chewed the leaves.

" Now rub the leaves on her paws,"

Rainpaw carefully rubbed Moondarkness's sore pads.

" Is that okay?" She asked.

" Great, Rainpaw." Streamblossom meowed approvingly.

" Now, tell me what this plant does." Streamblossom nosed some dock leaves toward her apprentice.

" Those are dock leaves! I think they mend scratches and soothes them?" Rainpaw guessed.

" Yes. Great job-" Streamblossom was cut off by a kick in her stomach. " Oww!" she choked out. " Wait here, Rainpaw."

Streamblossom disappeared out of the den and found her sister, Burnstorm.

" Burnstorm! I need to talk to you." Streamblossom meowed. " Alone." she meowed when she noticed Burnstorm's mate, Solclaw watching them.

The two sisters bounded into the forest clearing.

" What?" asked Burnstorm.

" I'm having kits. Don't tell anyone. Can you take care of them?"

" YOU? You're having kits?" her eyes flashed with hurt. " Of course I will take care of them." she mewed. " Anything for my sister."

She flashed a grateful glance at her sister and then she dashed back to her den. Rainpaw was still chewing pulp, this time for Amberkit, who caught herself in the bramble thicket at the edge of camp.

" Rainpaw." meowed Streamblossom. " Since you know the herbs so well, I will put you in charge of medicine duties."

Rainpaw stared at her mentor. " But, why?"

" StarClan had sent me to look for a herb that's really important." as she said this, she knew she was lying. She needed to get out of the clan's territory to deliver her kits. " I may be gone for maybe a quarter moon or more."

Rainpaw nodded. " Yes."

" I need to talk to Cometstar about this." Streamblossom meowed. The she-cat disappeared out of the den, and swept herself into the Leader's den.

The beautiful dark silver-blue she-cat was waiting for her. " Yes, my kit. I know your journey to find the herb. Your sister told me. She said she would go with you."

" Yes. I need to go as soon as possible." Streamblossom gasped as a pulse inside her stomach grew, like a cat devouring prey.

" May StarClan light your path. Remember you're always my kit." Cometstar meowed. And I'm giving birth to some more. Streamblossom almost said these words aloud, but she put her paw over her mouth. She covered up her gesture by saying she would eat before she left. As she said this, she realized that she was ravenous. Streamblossom mewed her farewell to her mother as she trotted to the fresh kill pile, choosing a fat pigeon. She gnawed at it until her belly felt another kick, then she began gulping it down in famished gulps.

Streamblossom finished her last meal in camp before giving birth to her kits. She then found Burnstorm crouched over a piece of prey. " It's time to go," Streamblossom announced. Burnstorm nodded. Burnstorm bent down to finish her prey, and then the two she cats padded into the moonlight as they spoke quietly of their journey.

Burnstorm then queried about who their father was.

" You know this, Burnstorm." Streamblossom meowed.

" Sunstreak?" Burnstorm guessed. " I saw you with him at the gathering."

Streamblossom nodded. " Yes. But don't forget you will act as their mother."

Burnstorm nodded briefly as they began their journey…

Chapter 3

" Oww!" Streamblossom stumbled as she felt a jolt in her belly.

Burnstorm stopped. " We need to get you shelter." she meowed, shifting her paws nervously, looking up at the darkening sky. She shoved her sister into a makeshift den made of rocks and leaves. A low growl came behind the sisters.

" Was that you, Burnstorm?" Streamblossom asked.

" No." Burnstorm mewed nervously. They heard the low, evil growl again.

" Run!" Burnstorm yowled, pushing her sister out of the den as a badger exploded out from behind them. Nosing her sister, the cats fled, the badger on their paws.

" Hide, Streamblossom. I'm going to fight." Burnstorm whipped around, facing the badger.

" No! I can't let you die!" Streamblossom protested.

" You're in no condition to fight!" Burnstorm hissed, with her claws slicing into the badger's nose, and shoving her sister into a pile of leaves. Blow after blow, Burnstorm finally fought the badger off, and fell into a the shape of a pile of fur.

" Burnstorm!" Streamblossom rushed over to her sister. " Don't leave me!"

Burnstorm looked up. " I-I'm okay." she said it, but Streamblossom knew she wasn't. Grabbing some cobweb, she immediately bounded up all her sister's wounds. " You need to rest, Burnstorm." Streamblossom meowed.

" Streamblossom! Streamblossom! Wake up! I'm healed." Burnstorm shook her sister.

Streamblossom jerked awake. " Great. Happy that cobweb helped." she gave her sister a swift lick in the shoulder.

" We need to go farther from the camp," Streamblossom meowed nervously.

" Yes. We don't want ANY cat to find us here." Burnstorm added. Just then, they ran into a pile of badger dung.

"Look at that! We could roll in it to disguise our scent!" Burnstorm exclaimed. Streamblossom looked hesitant, but she lay down, and rolled in the disgusting waste.

Soon enough, the two cats ventured toward the sunset. " Following the sunset should lead us far enough," Streamblossom meowed.

"Yes." Burnstorm meowed. Suddenly, Streamblossom gasped.

" Are you okay?!" Burnstorm panicked.

" I think my kits are coming," Streamblossom mewed with a panicked, hushed, low voice. With a screech, a tiny, kit was on the ground.

" One more to go… Burnstorm! Lick the kit!" Streamblossom hissed with a screech of pain, and another tiny kit was on the ground. Burnstorm nudged the kits towards her.

" Oh, they're beautiful," Streamblossom breathed.

" What should we name them?" asked Burnstorm.

" The white fluffy she-kit one is Cloudkit." Streamblossom decided. "And the silver and white tabby she-kit is Snowkit."

" Those are great names!" exclaimed Burnstorm, while Streamblossom chewed up some parsley leaves.

" Mmm, mm, m." Streamblossom said through a mouthful of leaves.

Burnstorm stared at her sister with a puzzled look. " What?"

Streamblossom chewed slowly, then swallowed. " I said, I know, right?"

Burnstorm laughed, and then she continued licking Cloudkit, and Snowkit.

"I'm going to go hunting, Burnstorm. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Just take care of my kits, okay?" Streamblossom said, as her sister gave her a worried glance. Burnstorm finally gave in. "Okay, fine. Get us something to share. An eagle, perhaps?" The black red cat suggested as her sister exited the temporary den of twigs and leaves.

Chapter 4

" Today we go home." Streamblossom meowed as she prodded her sister. Burnstorm rolled over.

" Okay." she meowed. Cloudkit and Snowkit were playing together in the clearing.

" Hi mom! Hi Streamblossom!" The kits chirruped at the sight of Burnstorm and Streamblossom.

Streamblossom sighed. She often thought that her kits will never learn that their true mother was herself, the medicine cat. She bit back a thought. " Medicine cats are not allowed to mate!" she thought to herself.

" Kits, today we are going home." Streamblossom mewed.

" Home? I thought this was our home." Snowkit purred.

Burnstorm shook her head. " We were only here to find a special herb." she meowed with a look to Streamblossom.

" Yes," Streamblossom meowed. " So let's go home."

As they reached the camp, Streamblossom picked some catmint, and headed into camp. They were welcomed with mews and yowls of surprise as they entered with two small kits.

" Thank StarClan that Streamblossom was with you, Burnstorm! I didn't even know you were expecting!" Lunarshine meowed to her friend.

" Yes, she was lucky. " Streamblossom managed to choke out. A claw of guilt and pain stabbed at her. She looked at Snowkit and Cloudkit, now playing in the deep snow.

Just then, a beautiful young she-cat ran towards the two sisters. " Thank StarClan you are alive!" It was their mother, Cometstar.

" Yes, Cometstar." Streamblossom meowed, as Burnstorm gathered Snowkit and Cloudkit into the nursery.

As Cometstar left, Streamblossom vowed to herself, " I will never forget my precious kits. I promise. They are mine, no matter what."

Chapter 5

Streamblossom trotted through the snow to the place that Sunstreak had told her to meet in. She was met by a yellow-orange tabby tom.

" Your kits are born," Streamblossom meowed.

" Yes, I have heard. Are they in safe paws?" Sunstreak asked.

" Yes. In the paws of my sister, Burnstorm."

" Good. Now I must leave." Sunstreak padded away from the clearing, and Streamblossom watched him go.

" I will never forget you, Sunstreak!" she yowled to him. He turned to her.

" Yes. Sometimes I wish things were different," he sighed. " I wish we were in the same clan, and you were a warrior. Please, Streamblossom. We can be together. I just know it. Do you want to come to ReedClan?"

Streamblossom thought for awhile. " No. I can't. We can not be together. I can't abandon my medicine cat duties. I hope you understand. I'm sorry."

Sunstreak's eyes were flared with anger. " You think I ask you to come only for me?! Well, I tell you, I didn't! You just think that you are the only one to care for. You don't care for me!"

" N-no! Sunstreak! That is wrong! I care for you. I care for you more than anything! Please, you don't understand!" Streamblossom meowed.

" No,Streamblossom. I'm leaving!" Sunstreak whipped around, and trotted angrily to his territory.

" No, no." Streamblossom was left standing by herself. " I have already lost my kits, and now the cat I loved." she shook her head. " but I will never forget them. But it's time to move on. It's time for a new generation."

Chapter 6

"Then by the powers of Starclan, Cloudpaw, you will be known as Cloudwing, and Snowpaw you shall be known as Snowblossom." Cometstar mewed to the over-excited apprentices. "Falconpaw will be known as Falconflame, and Twilightpaw shall be named Twilightsky." Cometstar laid her muzzle on all of them, and they returned the gesture with a lick on her shoulder.

"Cloudwing! Snowblossom! Falconflame! Twilightsky!" The clan yowled to the sky for their new members of the clan. Streamblossom watched from a distance, and the newly anointed warriors padded off to sit vigil.

Her sharp eye saw her daughter and Falconflame chatting, and getting closer with every pawstep. Finally, they curled their tails together, and they padded off into the breaking of dawn…

A yowl cut through the air of the used-to -be silent night. "REEDCLAN IS ATTACKING! I REPEAT REED CLAN IS ATTACKING!" The voice was Snowblossom's, and Streamblossom burst from her den. How could you do this to me, Sunstreak? She thought, as she raced to the stores, making sure that everything was stocked, and that Rainshrine was ready to deal with injuries.

She dove into battle, and desperate to save heer only kits. Streamblossom slashed at a tabby, and kicked her away so that she could help Lunarshine to her paws. She dragged her across the battle scene, and chewed up marigold and some cloud leaves and thrust it on her wound. She covered it with cobweb, and she yowled to Rainshrine to wake up.

She ran out from her den, and agony exploded along her spine. She whipped around and raked her claws across her attacker's face.

" You aren't a warrior, but you can die like one!" The orange yellow cat jeered. Streamblossom's eyes widened.

"Why? Why, Sunstreak?What did I do to you that made you do this?" She wailed. She could no longer defend herself. Sunstreak aimed his fury, blazing at her. He slashed his claws across her face, as she bled and bled.

"I'll tell you why, you fox heart!" He snarled, with such hostility, that Streamblossom felt hunted, instead of the hunter. She shrank back, and tried to slash at him, but he flashed away.

"You chose your duties over me, did you have to do that?" He asked, but he was tearing. Streamblossom suddenly felt stronger feelings for him than ever. HE glanced around, and then he tore away.

"DARKCLAN IS ALSO ATTACKING!" The yowl split the thin air. Cometstar dove into the heat of battle. She slashed at the Dark One, as he advanced into the battle zone. The Dark leader collapsed, but a backup warrior slashed open her throat, and kicked her into the medicine cat den.

"RETREAT!" The cats responded to the call, and then Reedclan was left. Cometclan was winning though. Soon enough, Aquastar snarled one last threat, and yowled "RETREAT REEDCLAN!" And the cats tore away from the cats that were being fought, and ran out the clan entrance.

Streamblossom returned to the medicine cat den, where a body lay limp on the floor. She didn't see the battle of the two leaders, and she hadn't noticed much. It's body was gray, and blue at the same time. Her fur was streaked with so many colors. Streamblossom gasped. The body that lay in front of her was Cometstar.

"Cometstar!" She wailed, her eyes tearing for her mother. She ran out and retrieved her siblings. "Burnstorm!" The two sisters sat vigil alone, and then they called for Shadowheart.

"Oh, Starclan. No." Shadowheart, the deputy buried his head into his mate's fur.

" It's time for a new beginning," sighed Burnstorm.

" Yes," Shadowheart meowed sadly. " For our new beginning, I think we should have two leaders." he meowed looking at all the cats.

" Sunfire, will you be the leader of the section of our clan, DawnClan?" Shadowheart asked.

" Yes, Shadowstar." he meowed. " I will be honored."

" And I will be Shadowstar, leader of CometClan!" Shadowstar, formerly Shadowheart vowed. " Together we are TwilightClan!"
" Our father has made a good choice." Streamblossom meowed, eyes brimming with tears.

" Yes," Burnstorm meowed.

" And remember, our cats," Shadowstar and Sunstar mewed together, " We are one clan! We are to hold each other up, and defeat Darkclan!"

Streamblossom sniffed. " Yes. I will always remember this." she meowed. " Together, we are one."

"Yes," her sister answered.

" It's time to move on." Streamblossom meowed softly to herself.

"Together, We are one, to hold up the next clan, and to defeat Darkstar's outlaws..." She mewed once again.

"It is a new beginning. The beginning of Twilightclan."

The End