Author's note, yes? Yes. :B
So, anyway. Thanks to my readers and reviewers~ I appreciate any feedback I can get, so keep the reviews coming! :D I have an outline created for this story for about...10 chapters? I'm going to work on in a bit more, but at the moment, I've got a bit of writer's block. So...
I'll try to upload as often as I can. c: But please be patient when it comes to updates? Orrrr send me angry hate mail for being such a slow writer, if you really are excited for the story (as long as it's not too hateful...o3o;).

Here comes the allegiances, and then our first chapter!

TideClan Allegiances

Leader
Cardinalstar- Long-furred red tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Deputy
Saltclaw- Big white tom with green eyes
Apprentice: Cloudpaw

Medicine Cat
Shadespot- Silver and black spotted tabby tom with blue eyes and long scar crossing his left cheek

Warriors
Ebonyfoot- Pure black tom with blue eyes

Mothflight- Black and brown brindled she-cat with yellow-green eyes

Ambernose- Pale ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes

Frogleap- Skinny brown tom with green eyes

Lichenheart- Dark ginger tom with green eyes

Fishtail- Grey tabby tom with a stubby tail and blue eyes

Tallclaw- Long-legged tabby tom with blue eyes

Silvernose- Light silver she-cat with green eyes

Riverfur- Blue-grey she-cat with yellow eyes

Sedgefoot- Yellow tom with faint tabby stripes and a white muzzle and paws

Apprentices
Cloudpaw- Grey and white tom with yellow eyes

Queens
Palmfur- Pale brown tabby she-cat, Mother to Ebonyfoot's kits: Webkit- pure black tom and Grasskit- light brown tabby she-cat;surrogate mother to Cliffkit- smoky black and grey tom and Brightkit- cream colored she-cat with blue eyes.

Nightpelt- Black she-cat with green eyes, expecting Tallclaw's kits.

Elders
Sharkbite- Grey tabby tom with missing right front paw, lost in a shark attack as a warrior.

Pooltail- Fluffly blue-grey she-cat with amber eyes

Over the horizon, the sun was beginning to rise, turning the dark night sky into a light blue shade as the fiery orb began its ascent. The faint sound of bird song wandered through the jungle as the creatures inside began to wake; mice scurried about under the shelter of bent ferns and palms, geckos slithered about on the forest floor in search of insects to snatch up for breakfast, and a mongoose emerged from its underground den, beady eyes surveying the jungle.

Sunlight filtered into a large clearing: a neat, circular patch of sandy ground where TideClan made their home. Surrounded by thick bushes and tall grass were six different structures, constructed to make dens for the Clan's various members. The biggest was made entirely of woven strands of fern and palm fronds, made rigid and tough due to seasons spent weathering the rain and harsh sunlight. It was dome shaped, and large enough to fit the entire Clan, if necessary. Directly across from this den, the warrior's den, sat one that was of identical structure, but easily half as small. Delicate, but beautiful shells adorned the entrance, which was covered with a sheet of vines to offer privacy to the den's owner: the Clan leader. A completely hollowed out tree lay on the ground directly to the left of the leader's den, serving as a den for the Clan's apprentices. To the right of the warrior's den was a large thorn bush, its branches spread out high and wide, opening up to a spacious area where the Clan's elders could sleep safely. To the left of the apprentice den, the ground sloped down gently, forming a large dip in the ground. The surrounding grasses bent over, forming a roof over the indent. Moss covered a majority of the sandy floor, and half coconut shells lined up along one curved wall contained a variety of colorful plants and leaves and roots. In between the thorn bush and the sloped den that acted as the medicine area was a large, hollowed out tree trunk served as home to the Clan's queen and their kits. The den was dim, due to a layer of ferns that mostly blocked out any sunlight that would have otherwise strongly beaten down through the top of the trunk. There was an abundance of mossy nests littering the inside of the den, but only two were occupied; one by a black she-cat, her belly swollen only slightly, and a pale brown tabby she-cat, with four kits nestled around her.

Two of the kits were curled up right next to the queen's stomach, their fur brushing against the she-cat's belly. The other two, however, were sleeping a bit of a distance away, and were obviously bigger. The pale tabby queen began to stir, lifting up her small head to look around the nursery. Her jaws split in a wide yawn, displaying pointy white teeth and a pink tongue. As soon as the yawn subsided, the she-cat lifted herself up, careful not to disturb the two kits that were previously pressed against her warm belly. The queen bent over one of the bigger kits, a cream colored tabby.

"Brightkit," she whispered into the kit's ear, "time to wake up."

The kit's eyes instantly opened, displaying ocean-blue eyes. She rolled over, swinging a small paw up at the tabby queen's nose.

"Good morning, Palmfur," the she-kit mewed, smiling up at her. The queen had easily ducked out of the way of Brightkit's lazy swipe, and flicked her tail at the kit's ears.

"I'm going to talk to Cardinalstar about the ceremony today," the pale brown tabby called quietly over her shoulder as she made her way out of the nursery, "so do me a favor and get your brother up, then start getting ready, okay?" Brightkit nodded at Palmfur, watching the slim she-cat slip out into the nearly deserted camp. Her bright blue gazed then turned to her brother, who was lying on his side, limbs spread out wide, black and grey fur badly ruffled. Mischief gleamed in Brightkit's eyes as she lifted her paw, searching carefully for a good place to strike. Then, her paw lashed out quickly, jabbing at the tom's ribs.

"Wake up, Cliffkit!" she hissed playfully, leaping neatly over the tom's nest. She crouched down low to the ground, tail lashing back and forth as she watched her brother struggle to his paws. His eyes, a pale yellow-green color, narrowed dangerously.

"Would a simple 'rise and shine' be too much to ask for, dear sister?" Cliffkit growled mockingly, rolling his eyes as Brightkit crouched lower to the ground. The she-kit stuck her tongue out at her brother, waggling her rear playfully.

"Maybe it was. What cha gonna do about it, lazybones? I bet you can't catch me!" As soon as Brightkit's challenge left her mouth, the black and grey tom launched himself at her, and the two became entangled in a flurry of flailing paws and tails, rolling playfully around the den. Giggles erupted from the chaotically rolling ball of fur, and did not stop even after the two flattened Nightpelt's tail. The pregnant she-cat jumped to her feet with a yowl of surprise, drawing her injured tail close to her body.

"Enough!" she hissed, stomping threateningly close to the two siblings. Her outburst had awakened Palmfur's other two kits, Webkit and Grasskit. They watched with wide eyes as Brightkit and Cliffkit broke apart, looking sheepish. "Is that any way for kits your age to act?"

"Sorry, Nightpelt," Brightkit muttered, looking up nervously at the angry she-cat, "I was the one who jumped Cliffkit...I didn't mean to make you mad."

The black queen huffed, letting her fur lay down flat. "I suppose it's understandable," she said, turning around to lie back down in her nest, "becoming an apprentice is a big deal. I remember how excited and happy I was to become an apprentice." Cliffkit tilted his head to the side, catching his sister's eye. Nightpelt, happy and excited? his eyes seemed to say. Surely the black furred queen was kidding; as long as Brightkit had known Nightpelt, she was always grouchy and irritable, like an elder. The creamy tabby shrugged, and turned her attention to her brother.

"Palmfur said we need to get ourselves ready for the ceremony; she went to go wake Cardinalstar." Cliffkit snorted lightly, giving his long black fur a shake.

"I was born ready, Brightkit," he purred confidently, gazing proudly at his smooth pelt. The creamy tabby rolled her eyes, padding to her brother's side.

"No, you missed a spot, mouse-brain. Right...here!" She punctuated her point with a blow to Cliffkit's hindquarters, before quickly scampering out of his reach. The tom bared his teeth in a half-hearted snarl at his sister, and then twisted around to untangle a knot of fur near his back legs. With a sigh, Brightkit told herself to calm down and get to work on her own pelt, which was messy and covered in scraps of stray moss.

A few moments later, Palmfur returned to the nursery. She nodded a brief greeting to Nightpelt, then padded over to help Brightkit with her grooming. "As soon as you two are ready," she said between licks, "we'll head outside. The Clan is gathering for the ceremony." Sure enough, the clan was rising early for the sibling's apprentice ceremony, their tired voices drifting through the entrance to the nursery. Brightkit squirmed nervously under her adoptive mother's tongue.

"Do you think Saltclaw is as excited as we are?" she asked. "I...don't remember the last time he came in to see us."

Palmfur licked the she-kit's ear comfortingly. "Your father is a very busy cat, being the Clan deputy. I saw him on my way back from talking to Cardinalstar, and he looked very proud." This reassurance made Brightkit smile, yet sad. Their mother wouldn't be there today, watching her and Cliffkit's ceremony. Bits and pieces of foggy memories came to mind when she thought of Turtlefur: warm, soft fur tainted with the cool slickness of blood. With a quiet sigh, Brightkit closed her eyes, allowing the memories, the sounds, and the scents to wash over her. A silent promise came to her. A promise to be the best warrior she could be. For Turtlefur.

"Who do you think our mentors will be, Brightkit?" Her brother's voice brought Brightkit's thoughts back to the present, and she opened her eyes to see the black and grey tom standing in front of her, his paws nervously kneading the mossy floor beneath them. Brightkit shrugged lightly as Palmfur finished up with her pelt.

"I don't know. The only warrior in the Clan with an apprentice is Saltclaw, so...we could be assigned to nearly anyone."

Cliffkit plopped down next to his sister, pale yellow eyes now shining with excitement. "It'd be the coolest thing ever to have Cardinalstar as a mentor, don't you think?" However, before Brightkit could answer, a loud yowl sounded outside the den.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Lava Rock for a Clan meeting!"

Finally finished with Brightkit's fur, Palmfur quickly got to her paws. "That sounds like your cue," she meowed excitedly. Two bundles of fur streaked across the den, suddenly awake.

"I wish I was becoming an apprentice today!" a pure black tom huffed, coming to rest by Brightkit's paws. A light brown and white tabby followed after the tom, looking sad.

Brightkit purred, lightly cuffing the tom over the ear with a paw. "Don't worry, Webkit!" she said to him, "In a couple of moons, you and Grasskit will be joining us in the apprentice's den. I be sure to save you both some nice nests?" Palmfur chuckled a little, nosing her kits towards the nursery exit; Nightpelt had already left, and was sitting next to her mate, Tallclaw, whose brown tabby pelt gleamed in the sunlight.

"But until you two are older," Palmfur muttered, "you'll just have to sit and patiently wait your turn, while cheering for Cliffkit and Brightkit."
Giving a skip of happiness, the cream colored tabby followed her adoptive mother, feeling Cliffkit scamper after her, right on her heels. The two siblings came to a stop at the edge of the group of cats gathered around a big grey-black rock that sat between the warrior's den and the camp entrance. A huge red she-cat sat proudly on the top of the rock, amber eyes surveying her clanmates gathered below. As her gaze fell on Brightkit and Cliffkit, she let out another yowl.

"As the rising sun now shines on TideClan on this new morning, so does StarClan's approval of these two kits, Cliffkit and Brightkit. Like the leaders before me, I, Cardinalstar, call upon our warrior ancestors to gaze upon these two kits." As the words left the she-cat's mouth, bright sunlight filtered through the treetops and into the clearing. According to myth, TideClan apprentices were always named at the break of dawn, when the sun began to rise, signifying the rising of new apprentices into the ranks of the Clan.

"TideClan is finally ready to name two new apprentices," Cardinalstar announced after the age-old preamble, "an occasion I'm sure Cloudpaw has been anxiously waiting for for many moons now." This last part was met with a few chuckles; a grey and white tom sitting near the back grinned widely, nodding quickly to his leader. With a wave of her tail, Cardinalstar beckoned the two kits closer. Cliffkit lead the way, his head held high; Brightkit followed her brother closely, trying to remain calm. Her paws were beginning to quake. What if she messed up during the ceremony? Or what if she got a poor mentor?

"Cliffkit, from this day on, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as Cliffpaw. Tallclaw," Cardinalstar said, turning her gaze to the big tabby that sat beside Nightpelt, "you have trained Riverfur well, and it is time you recieved another apprentice. I trust you shall pass on all that you know to Cliffpaw." The crowd parted as Tallclaw made his way towards Brightkit's brother, and he bent low to touch his nose to his new apprentice's, whose eyes grew wide with excitement as he greeted his new mentor. The two drew away towards the edge of the group of TideClan cats, and Cardinalstar continued with the ceremony.

"Brightkit, from this day on, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as Brightpaw." This time, the Clan leader turned to a brownish-red tom sitting near the front of the crowd. "Lichenheart, while you have not yet had an apprentice, you have showcased your bravery and skill to TideClan time and time again. I trust you shall pass on all that you know to Brightpaw."

The tom approached Brightpaw, bushy tail waving excitedly. They touched noses, and the clan broke into a chant.

"Cliffpaw, Brightpaw! Cliffpaw, Brightpaw!"

The cream she-cat watched the crowd proudly, taking in the view before her. There was Frogleap and Ambernose, her new mentor's siblings, right near the front, cheering their paws off. Palmfur grinned happily at her and Cliffpaw from her place near the nursery, Webkit and Grassskit waving their stubby tails at the new apprentices. Even Saltclaw stood at the back of the crowd next to Nightpelt, his best friend's mate, looking happier than he had in the moons after his own mate, Turtlefur died. Nearly all of TideClan were chanting their names. However, it felt as though one cat was...missing. Brightpaw's blue eyes swept through the crowd numerous times, searching for a silver tabby pelt. Her assumptions were correct: the Clan's medicine cat, Shadespot, was missing.

Brightpaw wasn't sure why this discovery bothered her, creating a knot of tension in the pit of her belly. She quickly shook it off, however; for now, she wanted to bask in the pride of being a new apprentice. This was the first pawstep into the journey of becoming a warrior of TideClan.

I'll make you proud, Turtlefur, she thought. I promise I will, mom.