The Bright Beginning

by CandyBunnies

Moons after the Dark Forest battle, five kits are born, destined to save the Clans. A prophecy claims the Clans will be destroyed unless the Five can save them before the end. Will they accomplish it, or will they die trying? Is StarClan wrong? What will happen? On Hiatus.

1. Prologue

AN: My story! It took forever to come up with this chapter and the next. I had re-written it... five or six times! Well on with the story.

Disclaimer: CandyBunnies does not own warriors. Erin Hunter does, and we are not Erin Hunter.

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Prologue

"Jayfeather, I'm not sure if I am ready to lead ThunderClan!" a dark brown tabby tom wailed. "What if I mess up?"

"Every cat messes up. It's natural. You need to stop being so paranoid. Brambleclaw?"

"Yes?" Brambleclaw replied, staring at the entrance to the Moonpool. He turned his head to look at the medicine cat.

"Are you ready? It's time," Jayfeather questioned the tom. The blind tom flicked his tail toward the Moonpool.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Brambleclaw retorted. He looked toward the entrance and sighed, "Lead on."

Jayfeather nodded and walked slowly through the branches. Brambleclaw followed, and he found his paws were set in paw grooves. I bet many cats have stepped down this spiral way to go to the Moonpool. It's kind of like the place at Highstones. The tom felt spirits of many cats before brushing along his pelt, their scent gagging him. Brambleclaw almost ran into Jayfeather as the medicine cat stopped suddenly. The spirits darted away.

"Why did we stop?" Brambleclaw questioned Jayfeather. He looked over the medicine cat's shoulder and gaped in amazement. The Moonpool was sparkling in the moonlight; the stars reflecting off the water.

"Brambleclaw, it is time you got your lives from StarClan. Lie down next to the pool, and lap some of the water," Jayfeather mewed confidently.

Brambleclaw walked over to the edge of the stone and lay down. He shivered from the coldness of the stone, but the water was colder when he drank from it. The tabby tom saw Jayfeather lay beside him, and they both closed their eyes.

Stars surrounded Brambleclaw, and then there was darkness. He stifled a yowl. Am I falling? He closed his eyes, hoping it would end quickly. The ThunderClan cat sniffed the air and found many cats scents lingering in the air; some he knew, others he didn't.

All of a sudden, he felt firm ground underneath him, and he opened his eyes. The tom looked around and saw Fourtrees. He stared in amazement, since the trees were standing. He looked around and saw the stars twinkling above. He looked back at the tree and was amazed to see the cats of StarClan sitting there; their fur was sparkling with starlight, and their eyes filled with warmth.

He sat staring as he heard a voice surround him, "Welcome Brambleclaw."

Brambleclaw stared at the cats as a pale ginger tabby she-cat walked forward. He ran forward to great the cat. The she-cat licked Brambleclaw's head and mewed, "You will be great my kit. You will lead ThunderClan wonderfully."

Brambleclaw breathed her scent in and replied staring in his mother's eyes, "Goldenflower, I'm not sure. I don't think I will do well. What if I mess up in the ceremony?" He stared at his mother with clouded eyes.

"You'll do fine my baby," she whispered. She raised her voice so everyone can here, "Brambleclaw, my lovely son, I give you a life of protection. Use it to protect your Clan as a queen protects her kits." She touched her nose to his forehead and a jolt of pain shot through him. He fought the urge to yelp and run away. The tom endured and was relived the pain subsided when Goldenflower pulled away. He gasped for breath and watched his mother pad off to join the rest of the StarClan cats.

Brambleclaw watched as a pale gray tom walked up to him. He resisted the urge to hiss at this tom. Ashfur, you tried to take my mate from me but paid the highest price for it. The tom looked at Brambleclaw with a sad but confident look in his eyes. "I hope you will forgive me, and become mates with Squirrelflight again," he mewed quietly, and then raised his voice "I give you a life to have the power to forgive all the cats that do wrong. It will help you through many different instances in your life time." Ashfur rested his muzzle between Brambleclaw's ears. A calm sensation followed by a burning sensation made Brambleclaw flinch. He looked up at Ashfur and nodded. Ashfur smiled and padded back to the ranks of StarClan.

Hollyleaf jumped down from the tree and padded forward. Brambleclaw watched with a loving feeling. She purred, "I am proud to have called you my father. You were the best." She rested her nose on Brambleclaw's ear, "I am here to give you a life of trust, use it for judging your Clanmates fairly. It is a hard thing to do." A calm but freezing, almost burning, sensation came over on him, and he yelp from the intensity. She pulled away, and left him shaking, hardly standing up.

"Hollyleaf, I miss you so much. I loved you as my own kit. I still wish you were my kit," Brambleclaw purred quietly.

"I will always be your kit. Just remember that," she replied. Hollyleaf padded back, sitting by Ashfur. A dark gray she-cat padded forward to Brambleclaw, and mewed, "With this life I give you compassion. Use it well for the elders of your Clan, and the sick, and all those weaker than yourself." A calm feeling swept forward and filled him with strength. "Thank you for not giving up on the Clan during many instances you could have. You have a deep feeling for our Clan. Please try to keep it that way." The she-cat padded away as he thought, I will always try to keep it that way, Cinderpelt.

A blue-gray she-cat padded forward and Brambleclaw dipped his head. "It's great to see you again, Bluestar." She flicked her tail.

"You do not have to do that here, we are equals now. I give you a life of truth. Your Clan will need you to tell the truth even if you believe it is not worth telling." A fierce pain made Brambleclaw yelp in pain. He felt dizzy when she pulled away. She went back to sit with her friends and family.

Ferncloud walked forward to give him a life. "With this life, I give you love for your Clan, as a queen caries for her kits." A calm feeling swept over, and he drank in the warmth. All of a sudden, an intense feeling became him, more intense than anything he had ever felt. He suddenly saw Ferncloud's love for her kits, and her total grief when Shrewpaw, Hollykit, and Larchkit all died. He felt her intensity in the battle with the Dark Forest, and her sad feeling leaving Dustpelt and her remaining kits. She pulled away, leaving Brambleclaw gasping for breath and shaking terribly. She padded away leaving Brambleclaw alone. I don't think I could go for another life like that.

Honeyfern padded forward to Brambleclaw and mewed, "I give you a life of bravery, use it to protect your Clan in the deepest of needs. A strengthening feeling fell upon Brambleclaw and he felt stronger, unafraid to go into any battle.

"Thank you Honeyfern. You helped save kits. I will always be grateful for you," he purred. He watched as she walked away, and her place was taking by, Feathertail.

He took in her scent, as he remembered her death. She had died to save the Tribe of Rushing Water from Sharptooth, a mountain lion. She purred, "Brambleclaw, the life I give you is courage; use it in battle or anything for your Clan. Protect your Clan with the strength of a lion." A strong feeling overcame him and he felt better than he had before.

"Oh, Feathertail, I miss you. You helped us finish the mission. We shouldn't have lost you," Brambleclaw mewed, head bowed.

"It's okay. I'm proud of you and the rest of them. If you see Crowfeather, tell him I love him and I am proud of him," she mewed before she padded away. Brambleclaw looked after her as she sat down with her mother, Silverstream. A ginger tom padded forward.

"Welcome Brambleclaw, my apprentice, warrior, and deputy. I doubted your loyalty by your looks, but I was wrong. You will make a great leader, and I am proud of you. I give you a life of mentoring, faith, and nobility. Use it well to train your young and old cats of ThunderClan, and to lead your Clan in the ways of the warrior code and StarClan. I hail you by your new name, Bramblestar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of ThunderClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.

"Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" The cats of StarClan called out. Bramblestar held his head high as the cats called his name. Firestar looked at Bramblestar with pride in his eyes.

The cats stopped cheering as a dark gray she-cat walked right in front of Bramblestar and stopped. She looked at Bramblestar and then Firestar. Firestar's spine fur raised and his lips were in a snarl. He spat at her, "Yellowfang, you better not say what I think you are going to say. He doesn't need to know yet. No Clan cat should. Jayfeather is here, and it would end disastrous if he knew."

"I am going to tell him. He is leader. What is one of his lives? It is truth. Therefore, he should know the truth. Isn't that right, Bluestar?" She retorted.

She looked at Bluestar, fury in her eyes. Bluestar looked at the she-cat and hissed. She backed down and said, "Firestar, I think he should know. I believe Cinderpelt feels the same way." Firestar looked at Cinderpelt as the she-cat nodded and sighed.

"Fine, he can know," he sighed. He rounded on Bramblestar, "If you tell a single soul about it or try to change their destiny, then all the Clans will be punished, and not by us. That goes for Jayfeather also."

The she-cat purred a rusty purr, "The prophecy is, 'Before the 'paw is given, five must go or else be driven… with brutes from all around, from the sky to the ground… to the mountains they must go, to the mountains and below…when tasks complete and quest done, five will be one and one will be all.'" The gray cat looked around and singled out Bramblestar. "That is all you need to know. Now go! You are leader, and you must go name a deputy when you get back."

Bramblestar sat puzzled. He closed his eyes to think, and when he opened them again, he was on stone at the Moonpool. The brown tabby sat up and was suddenly very tired. Bramblestar looked at Jayfeather and sighed.

"Let's go home," Jayfeather mewed quietly. The medicine cat padded out of the den and headed to ThunderClan territory. Bramblestar raced after him. I'm ThunderClan's new leader!

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ALLEGIANCES

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER

BRAMBLESTAR- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

DEPUTY

SQUIRRELFLIGHT- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT

JAYFEATHER- gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

WARRIORS

(toms and she-cats without kits)

BRACKENFUR- golden brown tabby tom

CLOUDTAIL- long-haired white tom with blue eyes

MILLIE- striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

THORNCLAW- golden brown tabby tom

SORRELTAIL- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

CROWFEATHER- dark gray tom, former WindClan warrior

LEAFPOOL- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

SPIDERLEG- long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

BIRCHFALL- light brown tabby tom

WHITEWING- white she-cat with green eyes

BERRYNOSE- cream-colored tom

HAZELTAIL- small gray-and-white she-cat

MOUSEWHISKER- gray-and-white tom

POPPYFROST- tortoiseshell she-cat

LIONBLAZE- golden tabby tom with amber eyes

APPRENTICE, SEEDPAW

FOXLEAP- reddish tabby tom

ICECLOUD- white she-cat

TOADSTEP- black-and-white tom

ROSEPETAL- dark cream she-cat

BRIARLIGHT- dark brown she-cat, paralyzed in hind legs

BUMBLESTRIPE- very pale gray tom with black stripes

APPRENTICE, LILYPAW

IVYPOOL- silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

CHERRYFOOT- ginger she-cat

MOLECLAW- brown-and-cream tom

APPRENTICES

(more than six moons, in training to become warriors)

LILYSPAW- dark tabby she-cat with white patches

SEEDPAW- very pale ginger she-cat

QUEENS

(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

DAISY- cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

BRIGHTHEART- white she-cat with ginger patches; has Cloudtail's kits: Dewkit, Snowkit, Amberkit

BLOSSOMFALL- tortoiseshell and white she-cat; has Toadstep's kits: Stonekit, Swiftkit, and Duskkit

CINDERHEART- gray tabby she-cat; has Lionblaze's kits: Bramblekit, Goldenkit, and Cinderkit

DOVEWING- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes; has Bumblestripe's kits: Firekit and Oakkit

KITS

DEWKIT- gray tom with amber eyes

SNOWKIT- white tom with amber eyes

AMBERKIT- pale gray she-cat with white patches

STONEKIT- gray-and-white she-kit

SWIFTKIT- dark gray tom with black and white patches

DUSKKIT- black tabby she-kit with white tail tip

BRAMBLEKIT- silver tabby she-kit with black and golden paws and golden ears ears with light blue eyes

GOLDENKIT- black she-kit with golden face and amber eyes

CINDERKIT- black she-kit with golden paws and green eyes

FIREKIT- dark ginger tom with black stripe and blue eyes

OAKKIT- pale ginger tom with black, gray, and white spots and dark blue eyes

ELDERS

(former warriors and queens now retired)

GRAYSTRIPE- long-haired gray tom

DUSTPELT- dark brown tabby tom

SANDSTORM- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

PURDY- plump tabby former loner with a gray muzzle

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER

BLACKSTAR- large white tom with jet-black paws

DEPUTY

ROWANCLAW- ginger tom

MEDICINE CAT

LITTLECLOUD- very small tabby tom

APPRENTICE: MISTPELT- spiky-furred pale gray she-cat

WARRIORS

(toms and she-cats without kits)

OAKFUR- small brown tom

TOADFOOT- dark brown tom

APPLEFUR- mottled brown she-cat

CROWFROST- black-and-white tom

RATSCAR- brown tom with long scar across his back

SNOWBIRD- pure white she-cat

APPRENTICE, BLACKPAW

TAWNYPELT- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

KINKFUR- tabby she-cat, with long fur that sticks out at all angles

OLIVENOSE- tortoiseshell she-cat

OWLCLAW- light brown tabby tom

SHREWFOOT- gray she-cat with black feet

APPRENTICE, PINEPAW

SCORCHFUR- dark gray tom

IVYTAIL- black, white, tortoiseshell she-cat

TIGERHEART- dark brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, BERRYPAW

FERRETCLAW- cream-and-gray tom

STARLINGWING- ginger tom

SPARROWCLAW- brown tabby tom

DEWFROST- gray she-cat

APPRENTICES

BLACKPAW- white-and- black she-cat

PINEPAW- brownish-ginger tom

BERRYPAW- ginger-and-black she-cat

QUEEN

(she-cat's expecting or nursing kits)

DAWNPELT- cream-furred she-cat; Kits: Darkkit, and Nightkit

PINENOSE- black she-cat; Kits: Rainkit, Lilykit, and Rosekit

KITS

DARKKIT- dark gray she-kit

NIGHTKIT- black tom

RAINKIT- dark gray tom

LILYKIT- light gray she-kit with white patches

ROSEKIT- gray she-kit with amber eyes

ELDERS

(former warriors and queens now retired)

CEDERHEART- dark gray tom

WHITEWATER- white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

WINDCLAN

LEADER

ONESTAR- brown tabby tom

DEPUTY

ASHFOOT- gray she-cat

MEDICINE CAT

KESTRELFLIGHT- mottled gray tom

WARRIORS

(toms and she-cats without kits)

OWLWHISKER- light brown tabby tom

WHITETAIL- small white she-cat

GORSETAIL- very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

WEASELFUR- ginger tom with white paws

LEAFTAIL- dark tabby tom with amber eyes

APPRENTICE, GRASSPAW

EMBERFOOT- gray tom with two dark paws

SEDGEWHISKER- light brown tabby she-cat

SWALLOWTAIL- dark gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, DEERPAW

WHISKERNOSE- light brown tom

FURZEPELT- gray-and-white she-cat

BOULDERFUR- large pale gray tom

LARKEAR- gray she-cat

CROUCHFUR- black tom

APPRENTICES

DEERPAW- black-and-brown she-cat

GRASSPAW- gray striped tom

QUEENS

(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

HEATHERTAIL- light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes; Has Breezepelt's kits: Blossomkit and Flowerkit

SUNSTRIKE- tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead; kits: Stormkit, Eaglekit, Shrewkit, and Runningkit

KITS

BLOSSOMKIT- white, orange, black tortoiseshell

FLOWERKIT- light brown-golden she-kit

STORMKIT- tortoiseshell she-kit with strikingly wide blue eyes

EAGLEKIT- dark brown tabby tom

SHREWKIT- white-and-light brown she-kit

RUNNINGKIT- white-and-brown tabby tom

ELDERS

(former warrior and queens now retired)

TORNEAR- tabby tom

RIVERCLAN

LEADER

MISTYSTAR- gray she-cat with blue eyes

DEPUTY

REEDWHISKER- black tom

MEDICINE CAT

MOTHWING- dappled golden she-cat

WILLOWSHINE- gray tabby she-cat

WARRIORS

(toms and she-cats without kits)

MINTFUR- light gray tabby tom

DUSKFUR- brown tabby she-cat

MINNOWTAIL- dark gray she-cat

PEBBLEFOOT-mottled gray tom

APPRENTICE, WILLOWPAW

MALLOWNOSE- light brown tabby tom

ROBINWING- tortoiseshell-and-white tom

PETALFUR- gray-and-white she-cat

HOLLOWFLIGHT- dark brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, WATERPAW

TROUTSTREAM- pale gray tabby she-cat

MOSSYFOOT- brown-and-white she-cat

RUSHTAIL- light brown tabby tom

CURLTAIL- tortoiseshell she-cat

PODFUR- dark gray and brown tom

APPRENTICES

WATERPAW- blue-gray tom

WILLOWPAW- gray she-cat

QUEENS

(She-cats expecting or nursing kits)

MOSSPELT- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes; Kits: Tanglekit, Featherkit, and Silverkit

ICEWING- white she-cat with blue eyes; Kits: Whitekit

KITS

TANGLEKIT- brown and white she-kit

SILVERKIT- gray tabby she-kit

FEATHERKIT- tortoiseshell she-kit

WHITEKIT- white she-kit

ELDERS

(former warriors and queens now retired)

GRAYMIST- pale gray tabby she-cat

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AN: Read and Review! It's helpful to! Yay! I finished! :D

Random Fact Time: This allegiances was hard to make!

~~Candy~~

~CandyBunnies~