All right! This is my first oneshot. If you like this, Please, Please check out If Darkness Falls, my fanfic in progress. If you read this, REVIEW! I so need reviews for constructive criticism. :)
"Wake up, Leafkit! It's today, now! Can you believe it? We're going to be apprentices!" Squirrelkit bounced up and down in their nest.
"Geez, Squirrelkit, it's just sunhigh now…Sunhigh! Great StarClan!" Leafkit went into a panic. "I forgot to groom my pelt. You have to help me get it cleaned up! Cinderpelt wouldn't want me if she saw me like this."
Squirrelkit nudged her impatiently. "Your fur is fine. Let's go!" They bundled out of the nursery, mewing excitedly. Firestar came out of his den, closely followed by Sandstorm. He padded over and sat down while Sandstorm fussed over them.
"Ready?" He asked. Squirrelkit wriggled away from her mother. "You bet! Who is my mentor going to be? Is it you?"
Firestar chuckled. "Of course not. You aren't supposed to know who it is until the ceremony, and that will start in a few minutes."
Squirrelkit sighed. "But Leafkit knows!"
"That's different!" Leafkit put in. "I'm going to be a medicine cat. You're going to be a warrior."
Firestar lovingly licked their ears. "Let's start now, then, so you can find out."
He bounded onto the Highrock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" He yowled. Cats emerged from their dens and settled down for the meeting. Sandstorm was still grooming Leafkit.
"Mom, stop it! Everyone's watching." She protested.
It was true. The whole clan was looking at them in amusement. Sandstorm straightened up.
"Humph," She sniffed.
"Squirrelkit and Leafkit, step forward." Firestar mewed.
"Naming apprentices is second only to naming warriors in my favorite duties," He continued.
"It is high time we had more apprentices. Squirrelkit, from now on you will be known as Squirrelpaw. Dustpelt, you are ready for another apprentice. Pass on your loyalty and courage to Squirrelpaw."
Squirrelpaw could barely restrain herself from leaping across the camp yowling,
"I'm an apprentice! Finally!" But she padded over to Dustpelt and touched noses with him.
"Leafkit has given careful consideration and would like to train as a medicine cat. Cinderpelt, will you accept her as your apprentice and train her?"
Cinderpelt dipped her head in reply mewing, "Of course, and I'm sure she will be a wonderful medicine cat."
Firestar nodded respectfully.
"Leafkit, you are now known as Leafpaw."
Leafpaw touched noses with Cinderpelt, her eyes shining. ThunderClan yowled the names of the new apprentices. "Squirrelpaw! Leafpaw! Squirrelpaw! Leafpaw!"
Squirrelpaw trotted in a circle around Dustpelt.
"Are we exploring the territory, now, Dustpelt? Are we?"
Dustpelt rolled his eyes. "I guess so, but I'm not going to be exploring anywhere, you know. I've been in the territory millions of times." He pointed out dryly. Squirrelpaw was too excited to listen.
"Come on, then!" She meowed.
"Follow me," Dustpelt cautioned. "I don't want you running off into any … danger."
He finished resignedly as she dashed off. He followed, at a slower pace. Squirrelpaw was waiting impatiently, her tail flicking.
"First we'll go to Sunningrocks," Dustpelt announced. "It's this…."
"This way!" Squirrelpaw raced away in the opposite direction from where he was pointing, towards Snakerocks.
"Not that way!" He overtook her just before she reached the rocks.
"This is Snakerocks, not Sunningrocks. This is where the adders live. Sunningrocks is thatway." He pointed his tail in the direction they came.
Squirrelpaw drooped. "Oh."
Dustpelt added, "So now we'll continue in this direction to the Thunderpath, and we'll go slowly."
"Ok!" She brightened immediately, running headlong towards the Thunderpath. Dustpelt sighed, and padded after her. If Squirrelpaw is going to be a warrior, she needs to have at least a grain of sense in that overexcited brain of hers.
Later, after they got back to camp, Dustpelt took the problem to Firestar.
"So, I hear you've been not paying attention to your mentor." Firestar mewed sternly. "First taking off in the opposite direction from what he told you, nearly running into Snakerocks, having to be rescued from nearly being run over on the Thunderpath, trying to attack ShadowClan when you were on the wrong side of the border, and then falling into the river in RiverClan territory! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Squirrelpaw bent her head miserably. "I'm sorry, dad. I didn't know."
Firestar frowned. "Didn't know what? Squirrelpaw, there is no excuse for this on your first day of training. Dustpelt said you called him a miserable old codger because he wouldn't let you sneak up and pounce on Leafpaw while she was learning how to collect herbs! Squirrelpaw, I don't know what to do with you. Go to your den."
Squirrelpaw looked at him indignantly. "But…."
"Go!"
She went.
Leafpaw found her in her den afterward. "Squirrelpaw, you have to get along with your mentor and do what he tells you if you want to be a warrior."
Squirrelpaw groaned. "Not you too!"
"Firestar has the power to never make you a warrior if he thinks you don't deserve it, you know." Leafpaw reminded her. Squirrelpaw softened, licking her sister on the cheek. "All right, I'll try harder, just for you."
Leafpaw smiled. "I'm glad."
Many, many moons later, in a place far away, soon to be the Clans' new home, all four Clans called out a new name- a warrior name. "Squirrelflight! Squirrelflight!" The new warrior looked around proudly, her green eyes shining. Leafpaw whispered in her ear, "You kept your promise. I knew you would." The warrior raised her head high. Squirrelflight!
Like my dramatic ending? Ah, well. That's done now! So, review, and try If Darkness Falls! See you next time. XD
-Icebreath