Disclaimer: Warriors, the Clans and the forest belong to Erin Hunter. However, Bugpaw and Sierrapaw are mine. The kittypets are based off my own RL kittypets and thus belong to me!

Bugpaw blinked open her eyes. Sunlight had warmed the apprentice's den, making it nearly impossible for the undersized tabby to sleep. Still, she tried to close her eyes and get at least a few more precious minutes of sleep. Her mentor, Sunriser, was taking her out battle training today and she was resolutely convinced that just one more blink of sleep would give her more energy.

Of course, the sun didn't seem to understand that. It had become to warm in the den to sleep, so Bugpaw stood and stretched. She was very small, even for six moons. She had a small, round body attached to her short tail and long, skinny legs. With her big eyes and small ears Bugpaw did indeed look like a bug. Even though this brought her a lot of teasing from her denmates, she tried to brush it off. She had been told she was going to grow and pan out to be shaped like a normal cat and she stuck to that belief. She wouldn't look like a bug forever!

"Hey, Bugpaw," mewed Sierrapaw, padding up behind her. "Some heat huh? This greenleaf is going to be a scorcher!"

Sierrapaw was only two moons older then Bugpaw. She was lean and had luxurious long tan fur with darker stripes. Bugpaw was a dark gray tabby with two white front paws and a white muzzle. Their eyes were green, though Bugpaw's were bright and wide whilst Sierrapaw's were pale. They looked and acted exactly opposite, though the two of them were best of friends.

Bugpaw wriggled her tail and pounced sideways onto Sierrapaw's back. The she-cat shrieked and rolled over, dislodging Bugpaw easily. She twisted around quickly and pinned Bugpaw to the ground with a paw.

"What was that for?" she mewed, eyes alight. Bugpaw purred and wriggled away. "Sunriser is going to take me battle training today!" she mewed excitedly.

"Great! Maybe Foxwhisker and I can join you. Is he isn't busy, that is." Sierrapaw glanced around for the ginger tom as she spoke. A silvery she-cat was padding with fresh-kill in her jaws. She paused for a moment and set the mouse down.

"Foxwhisker just left on a patrol, Sierrapaw. He won't be back until sunhigh," she meowed. Sierrapaw's face fell.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks, Silverwing," she mewed. Silverwing nodded and padded away. Bugpaw twitched her tail irritably.

"Foxwhisker needs to spend more time with you, Sierrapaw! You told me he hasn't taken you out for days!" she whispered. Sierrapaw shrugged. "He's just busy, that's all. Come on; let's go get something from the fresh-kill pile."

Bugpaw frowned but followed Sierrapaw to the pile. She could tell by the way her friend moved the prey around half-heartedly that Sierrapaw didn't have much of an appetite.

"Maybe Sunriser can take you with us?" she suggested, trying to cheer up her friend. Sierrapaw nodded, looking doubtful.

"Oh, there he is now! I'll go ask him if you can come. Be right back!"

She scampered across the clearing, long legs flailing in all directions. "Woah!" she cried, trying to skid to a stop. She nearly crashed into the nursery wall but Sunriser reached out and grabbed her scruff just before she made contact.

"Whew! Thanks, Sunriser! For a minute there I thought I would be stuck in camp all day fixing the wall!" she mewed, staring with wide eyes at her mentor. Sunriser purred.

"You need to stop running around everywhere! It wouldn't take forever to walk over to me!" meowed the orange and white tabby. She grinned.

"Can Sierrapaw come training with us, Sunriser? Please please please?" she mewed quickly. Sunriser hesitated.

"Can't Foxwhisker take her out?" he asked.

"Foxwhisker is on a patrol and won't be back until after sunhigh!"

He sighed. "I'm going on a hunting patrol in a minute, Bugpaw. I won't be back until after sunhigh, either." He shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"But you said we would go battle training today!" she mewed, staring at him.

"I'm sorry. We'll have to go out when I get back," he mewed.

"Yeah, but then we won't have enough time to do battle training," she mumbled. She turned and padded away slowly. Sierrapaw looked up as she approached.

"He said no, didn't he?" she mewed anxiously. Bugpaw sat down. The pieces of fresh-kill were suddenly unappetizing.

"He's going on a hunting patrol and won't be back until after sunhigh," she mewed glumly. "I guess that means you and I are stuck cleaning out the elders den today."

Sierrapaw sighed. "But Stumblingpaw cleaned it out yesterday! Surely it doesn't need cleaning out again!" she moaned. Bugpaw grimaced.

"Maybe Stonestar will let us go on a patrol with somebody?" she wondered aloud. Sierrapaw shrugged. "It won't hurt to ask. Come on."

The pair trotted across the clearing to the medicine den where Stonestar, his deputy Steadystep and the medicine cat were talking in urgent whispers. Bugpaw reflected that Fadedfur had just returned from the half-moon meeting with StarClan.

"Stonestar!" mewed Sierrapaw, dipping her head slightly. The light gray tabby tom looked up from his discussion.

"Yes, Sierrapaw?" he growled.

"Bugpaw and I want to know if we can go hunting, like, on a patrol or something. There's nothing to do here and our mentors are out," she mewed hopefully.

Bugpaw nodded for emphasis.

"Right now we have all the patrols we need out. If you're needed, Steadystep will let you know. Stay in camp! If you go out without a warrior with you I'll want to know why," meowed the leader gruffly. In a gentler tone Steadystep meowed, "Why don't you take some fresh-kill to the queens? You can see Dovefeather's kits."

"Okay, Steadystep," sighed Sierrapaw. Her disappointment was evident. She turned and padded away, Bugpaw right beside her.

"I'm so bored! I'm tired of being in camp all day!" complained Sierrapaw. Bugpaw felt a pang of sympathy towards her friend. Foxwhisker hadn't taken her out for days. Her only opportunity to get out of camp was on the occasional patrols Steadystep sent her on. Bugpaw couldn't help but to wonder if Foxwhisker would even take her out when he got off his patrol. He didn't seem to care much for his apprentice at all.

As they left the nursery, Fiercepaw and his brother Cloudpaw were just returning from a patrol with their mentors. They dropped their prey on the fresh-kill pile and came over to join Bugpaw and Sierrapaw in front of the apprentice's den.

"The peat is beginning to dry up from all this heat!" observed Cloudpaw. Fiercepaw grinned and flicked Sierrapaw with his tail.

"Hey, you look down. Why not go enjoy some of the fresh-kill we caught for you?" he meowed maliciously. Bugpaw bristled at the dark brown tom.

"Yeah, Sierrapaw. After all, you've got nothing better to do then to hang around camp do you? When was the last time you were out? Leaf-bare?" added Cloudpaw. Sierrapaw snarled.

"Go away," she hissed. They obliged, laughing and glancing back at her as they stalked towards the elders den. Bugpaw tried to comfort her friend but Sierrapaw pushed her away.

"Maybe they're right," she sighed. "I can't do anything around here. Bugpaw's eyes went wide.

"Sierrapaw, it's not your fault Foxwhisker never takes you out!" she protested.

"What if Foxwhisker doesn't think I'm good enough to become a warrior?" Sierrapaw agonized. "What if he thinks it's a waste of his time to train me?"

"That's not true and you know it!" hissed Bugpaw. "We'll prove it! We'll go out and catch a bunch of fresh-kill ourselves!"

Sierrapaw stared at Bugpaw. "Stonestar told us not too!" she mewed. Bugpaw shrugged.

"Once he sees how much fresh-kill we can bring in, he won't complain. Then Foxwhisker will start taking you out again!"

Sierrapaw stared at the entrance to camp. "What if we get confined to camp?" she whispered. Bugpaw flicked her tail at Sierrapaw.

"We won't. Come on!" She stood and walked casually towards the entrance. "If anyone asks, we're going to make dirt!"

They padded out of camp unobtrusively. No one seemed to notice their quiet departure. Sierrapaw still seemed wary.

"This isn't a great idea…" she whispered. Bugpaw grinned. "Sure it is, Sierrapaw. We'll be fine, don't worry! Come on. Sunriser showed me how to catch a frog yesterday! I think they're tasty."

She bounded ahead, determined to get Sierrapaw's mind off of her worries. It seemed to work, because the tabby she-cat was tasting the air attentively, ears pricked and her tail held high.

"Near the twoleg nest is a great place to find all sorts of mice!" whispered Sierrapaw. "Have you ever been there before?" Bugpaw shook her head.

"It's okay. The twolegs have been gone since late leaf-bare. Follow me!"

They padded through the damp forest, Sierrapaw beginning to enjoy herself as time passed. Bugpaw sniffed the air.

"It smells funny here. Is this the twoleg nest?" she mewed to Sierrapaw. The tan she-cat seemed puzzled. "Yes, this is it but it smells different… stronger. Come on!"

They crouched down and crept towards the nest. They heard the squeals and yapping of the twolegs long before they actually saw anything. The nest was large, but instead of the quiet scene Bugpaw had always pictured, she saw chaos. Twolegs were everywhere, carrying large shiny black things with them into the nest. The kits were squealing and running around like they were on catmint or something.

"I thought you said the twolegs were gone!" hissed Bugpaw to Sierrapaw. Sierrapaw was staring in disbelief. "T-they were! They're back now! Come on! We have to get back to camp!"

"No, wait!" mewed Bugpaw. She had never seen twolegs before and she thought it was fascinating.

"Bugpaw, we have to go back and report it to Stonestar!" urged Sierrapaw.

"We should stay a few minutes longer… We should gather more information!" mewed Bugpaw. That seemed to convince Sierrapaw, so she sat and watched, her pelt prickling.

One of the twolegs carried a large thing that looked like it was made of shiny stone with holes in it. Pricking her ears, Bugpaw could hear the mewling of cats inside the rock.

"There are cats in there!" hissed Sierrapaw.

"We have to save them!" mewed Bugpaw in alarm. The twoleg set the rock on the ground and unfolded part of it. At once three kits jumped out.

"Kittypets!" hissed Sierrapaw.

More cats came out of the rock. Bugpaw felt her jaw drop. The kittypets were huge! They were twice as big as any cat Bugpaw had ever seen. Their coats shone in the warm sunlight… it was clear these kittypets didn't go wanting for food. One of them, the biggest of the bunch, stretched out, unsheathing his claws. They were the longest claws Bugpaw had ever seen. An orange-and-white tabby yawned, revealing sharp, white fangs. Bugpaw could feel Sierrapaw trembling beside her.

"We have to go back and warn Stonestar!" hissed her friend. Bugpaw nodded. She didn't want to stay a moment longer, not with those kittypets around. Sierrapaw turned and raced into the forest. Bugpaw took one last glance at the large kittypets, counting them.

"Eight," she mumbled, then took off after Sierrapaw.

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