As the new apprentices were out, Featherstone sat in DarkClan's camp, looking over at the kits in the nursery. There was Stormkit, who was always looking into her den, and little Crystalkit the silver kit with a bent back leg, and then there was little Jaykit, who was even younger. She smiled, I'd like an apprentice, I'm not getting any younger. She thought as the little kit dashed up to her.

"Hi, Featherstone!" the little silver she-cat's eyes were wide, and Featherstone smiled, Who cares if she wasn't originally a DarkClan cat? She doesn't know it, most cats in this clan, except for Rainstar and I, don't know. I'll ask my sister in a while.

"Hello, Stormkit." She rested her tail over the kit's back as she led her back to the nursery, She's old enough to be an apprentice now. I'm not sure why Rainstar didn't apprentice her with the others. I'll see if I can find her, I need herbs anyway.

She padded out of camp and headed into the forest. She heard Rainstar almost right away, and rambunctious Flashpaw, as well.

"Rainstar, Stormkit's old enough to be an apprentice, isn't she? I mean, she's the same age as Stripepaw, Hollypaw and me."

Featherstone couldn't see them, but she smiled, maybe Flashpaw had already done the job for her?

"Yeah, I suppose she is. Let's get you and the others back to camp, first though, alright?"

"Yeah!" Featherstone could hear the excitement in the apprentice's voice, and then a small calico shape sped past her, headed back to camp.

"She's a bit of a handful, isn't she?" Featherstone asked, approaching Rainstar.

Rainstar laughed, "She is. I'm not sure who to make her mentor though." She sighed heavily.

Featherstone smiled as they headed back into camp.

"Featherstone? Can I come with you next time you go get herbs?" Stormkit asked, eyes wide.

"I was gonna teach you how to catch a mouse!" Flashpaw said, bowling into her friend.

"Of course! I'd much rather learn to hunt!" Stormkit forgot about the two adult she-cats as she bounded after Flashpaw, and Featherstone frowned, maybe that wasn't the kit for her. She'd stay quiet.

Flashpaw and Stormkit bounded up to Rainstar, "Can you make Stormkit an apprentice now? Huh?"

Rainstar rumbled a laugh, "Let's wait until the others get back alright, we don't want your friends to miss Stormkit's big ceremony, do you?"

Flashpaw frowned and then sighed, "No. I guess not." She said, bounding over to the fresh-kill pile to eat. Stormkit hesitated, however, and looked at Featherstone.

"Um. Can I ask you a question?" She asked, and Rainstar smiled, standing up to leave.

Featherstone smiled, "Of course, come on into my den." They padded into the haze of the medicine den, and Featherstone turned to look at Stormkit, "What is it?" She asked.

"Uummm… Well… I'd like to know why you became a medicine cat?" she asked, her pelt prickling in embarrassment.

Featherstone smiled, "Well," she said, looking back into her memories. "I always wanted to help my clan, but I didn't know how. I started off as a warrior apprentice but I knew there was always something about being a medicine cat that interested me, and I was always the first to offer help to her. And one day the leader told me it's what I was destined to do, so I went for it, and look at me now." Featherstone said to Stormkit, but she knew the real reason was that she had always wanted to be leader, but she couldn't do that to her sister, who had wanted it way more, and was much more apt to succeed, so she just became medicine cat. She liked being medicine cat, it was one way to help her clan. But she always went out to go hunting, just sometimes though, to pretend it was different. Then she sighed. I'm glad I chose to be a medicine cat, she thought as she looked at the kit.

As Stormkit comprehended that, and then left, Featherstone looked out into the clearing, where Crystalkit was walking past, her crippled leg laying limp behind her, and she felt a tremor of sadness. She was suddenly brought back to her apprentice days, when her brother was hunting, trying to prove to the clan that he was strong enough to catch a harpy eagle, and then she remembered seeing his mentor bringing him in dead from the fall he had taken because his bad leg wouldn't let him jump to the best of his ability. Is that why Featherstone became a medicine cat, because she wanted to heal breaks so no cat would come close to her brother's sad loss. Featherstone shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memories.

She darted off into the forest to the stream, she needed some fresh air. "Are you proud of me now." She said aloud, trying to speak to her dead mom who never thought greatly of her. "Maybe Rainstar never noticed because mother was too busy loving her!" She said with a sneer. "'Look at my favorite daughter as deputy, Oh Featherstone, go get us something to eat'" Featherstone said, imitating her mother's voice. "This is why I became medicine cat, so I wouldn't be jealous of Rainstar!" She said to herself. "All I ever needed was your love." She said looking at the sky before walking back to camp.

She curled up in her den listening to the goings on of camp. Hollypaw was speaking to her sister.

"Don't worry, Flashpaw!" the black apprentice was saying, "I'm certain that Stormkit's gonna be with us. Haven't you noticed how Featherstone looks at Crystalkit? It's like pity or reminiscence or something. I think she's chosen her apprentice, there's no worries..."

Featherstone frowned as Flashpaw cried, "Oh good!" She supposed making Crystalkit her apprentice was the best idea, but the little silver kit wasn't very enthused about it, not like Stormkit.

"Hey Stormkit! Guess what! Featherstone wants Crystalkit so you can train with me!" Flashpaw sounded a little too excited, if Featherstone could say.

"Flashpaw! I never said that!" she couldn't help but chuckle as Hollypaw tried to explain herself.

"Featherstone?" She looked up as Rainstar appeared in the mouth of her den, "Can I speak to you in my den?"

Featherstone nodded, following her out and under the small Kapok where the leader's den was. She saw Stormkit's shocked expression as she stared at her friends, but shrugged as she settled into her sister's den.

Rainstar opened her mouth to speak, but the entrance to the den darkened as Stormkit appeared, "Um. Rainstar? Featherstone? Can I talk to you both for a moment?"

Featherstone smiled and looked to her leader, who nodded, "Yes, of course, Stormkit, come on in."

The silver tabby padded into the den, ""Well," She stammered, "I think I'd like to become a medicine cat apprentice instead of a warrior." she ducked her head in embarrassment.