A/N: Well, we have finally done the first chapter! I will say that it might be some gap between uploads. Sorry about that but we will try our best to upload as soon as possible. We only own our OC's, everything else belongs to Erin Hunter! Enjoy!
Chapter 1
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"I'm bored." My friend meowed beside me, maybe a little louder than needed.
"You know what? You've already said that," I say back, but in truth, I was also bored. Most of the clan members left to go the Gathering leaving us kits behind.
I've heard stories from Newtfang, about the Gatherings. How the Leaders of every Clan look down from the Great Rock, watching every movement from the cats below. How the even the meanest of warriors meet under the peace of StarClan.
That sounds way cooler than lying in the nursery.
I heard the sound of moss moving and then felt paws digging into my side, pushing me over from my comfortable spot. I flip myself over to look at the she-cat.
There, flipped on her back was Meadowkit. Her tortoiseshell fur blended in perfectly with the shadows of the nursery, with only the red under her muzzle and the orange on her chest standing out. Her long body was stretched out across the moss on the ground, with some of it sticking to her sides. My bed moss of course.
"Just because you're bored doesn't mean you can take my spot," I say as push her back over to her side. She grumbled but rolled back over, flicking her tail in my face.
I settle back down in the moss, tucking my paws under my chest and pulling my tail in close. I didn't want to sleep; me and Meadowkit always stay up to wait for the other cats to come back from the Gathering. We wanted to hear all about it, every last detail.
I still couldn't stop my eyes from drooping. Usually, Meadowkit and I would go outside to play till one of the apprentices or warriors told us to be quite; but not tonight. We have to be on good behavior until the apprentice ceremony.
At least, that's what I'm doing. Meadowkit seems to still do what she wants, which is what I wish I could do. The ceremony being only four days away is really stressing me out.
A sudden weight on my back snaps me out of my thoughts. The mass on my back pushes me into the ground, making me have a little trouble breathing.
"I'm bored!" Meadowkit's voice sounded from my back, vibrating through my body as she talked.
"Get off!" I pushed off the ground as fast as I could and felt her roll off my back with a squeal. I heard a satisfying thump as she hit the ground.
"Hey! You were comfortable," She meowed; I could hear the pout in her voice. I turn my head and meet her river blue eyes; they always seemed to be a different color blue every time you looked at them.
"Ha, sure," I drag out. I'm not the fluffiest kit in ThunderClan. "We can do whatever you want, just don't lay on me."
"But what else is there to do?" She said getting up. Meadowkit was bigger than me in both ways. With her slender fame she easily beat me length wise and her long legs made her have to look down at me.
But compared to a warrior, she's still small. We both still have some growing to do, especially me.
"Why don't we go play outside, Snowkit?" Meadowkit asked, her eyes gleaming in the low light.
"Do you want to wake up the whole Clan?" I say.
"Oh, please!" Meadowkit begged. "Most of the clan is out in the clearing anyway!"
"For StarClan's sake; shut up!" A squeaky female voice growled. I turned my head to see a black-and-white she-kit curled up in Meadowkit's nest, along with a black kit. It was Violetkit and Darkkit- Meadowkit's sister and brother.
Meadowkit immediately bristled and glared at her sister. "Sorry, Violetkit. We're just trying to have fun." Darkkit got up from the nest and then curled back up again. "It seems to me that you're the only one trying to have fun," he sneered. Meadowkit crouched down with her haunches high. "Say it again, Darkkit!"
I was ready to defend my close friend as I got into my battle position, well, what I think is my battle position. Just then, a creamy/pinkish tail swept over me and Meadowkit, pushing us away from Darkkit and Violetkit.
"Kits, enough." It was Petalleaf, a close to kitting mother. Her amber eyes swept over Meadowkit and me. "If you two won't go to sleep, then you can play outside."
Meadowkit gave an excited bounce while I hesitated. I really didn't want to get in trouble when my apprentice ceremony was only a few days away. An excited wave crashed down on me along with a wave of nausea as I thought about my apprentice ceremony. Who would my mentor be? How powerful will I get?
Before I could really answer, Meadowkit grabbed my neck scruff with her teeth. "Ah, what are you doing?" Meadowkit's blue eyes were gleaming with amusement. "I'm mothering you, duh!" Of course she was. Since I was so small, Meadowkit could pick me up. She couldn't pick me up all the way, my paws were dragging against the mossy floor.
"Don't get under any cats' paws!" Petalleaf called. I flicked my tail in response. When we made it outside, a warm, green-leaf breeze rolled in. The full moon gave enough light for the two of us to see other ThunderClan cats who had not been invited to the Gathering.
The golden pelt of Joltwhisker looked almost silver in the moonlight. Her blue eyes glanced at us and she got up from where she was lying with a beautiful white she-cat. The white she-cat's name was Swanfeather, one of the nicest cats in the clan!
"Hello, Snowkit and Meadowkit," Joltwhisker meowed, waving her tail in greeting. The two of us bounded over to the two she-cats. "Hi, Joltwhisker, Swanfeather," I mewed, dipping my head politely to the two older warriors. Swanfeather's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Are you two excited about your upcoming apprentice ceremony?"
I simply nodded but Meadowkit gave an excited squeak. "Yes! I've been waiting for this for, like, ever!" Swanfeather purred in delight while Joltwhisker blinked thoughtfully. "Rainpaw is excited about it, too. She's been meowing on and on about new denmates!"
I tipped my head to one side. "Doesn't she have enough?"
Swanfeather and Joltwhisker exchanged amused glances. "Rainpaw and her littermates have been the only apprentices in ThunderClan for a while. When Boulderpaw and Ivypaw moved in, she was delighted to be with Boulderpaw, but not so much with Ivypaw," Joltwhisker explained.
I don't know why but when Joltwhisker told us that Rainpaw was glad to have Boulderpaw in the apprentice den with her, my stomach kind of flipped. Sure, Boulderpaw and I were friends but I shouldn't be jealous that he has other friends.
"When Foxpaw and Dovepaw became apprentices, Rainpaw grew annoyed of them," Swanfeather continued. She gave a snort of amusement. "I can totally understand that! Foxpaw is a chatterbox." Meadowkit and I exchanged a glance. "What about Emberpaw and Ashpaw?" Meadowkit asked.
"Those two are the sons of Flamestar," Joltwhisker replied. "I know Rainpaw has always felt intimated around them even though they're really sweet cats." Her blue gaze darkened as she added, "She wants to prove that she can be better than the clan leader's kits."
I could understand that. When I become an apprentice, I know that I will have to train harder than any other cat because I'm really small. Meadowkit nudged me, making me almost fall to the ground. "Look who's still here," she meowed, flicking her ears toward the apprentice den. I followed her ears to see a handsome dark gray tom with black patterns all over his body.
"Boulderpaw!" Meadowkit and I exclaimed in unison. The large apprentice turned his gray eyes toward us. "Snowkit, Meadowkit!" he yowled, walking over to us.
Meadowkit grinned, her sharp, white teeth glowing in the moonlight. "Thrushflight didn't take you to the Gathering?" I nudged Meadowkit but Boulderpaw didn't seem to mind the question. "Actually, Foxpaw and Pouncepaw didn't get to go either. We all go in trouble."
I rolled my eyes at Meadowkit. Was it a coincidence all the apprentices he named were toms?
"What did you three do?" I asked. Boulderpaw shuffled his paws in embarrassment. "We may have been throwing moss at each other." Meadowkit gaped at him while I laughed. "What is wrong with you guys?" I asked, still laughing.
Boulderpaw blushed. "It's not that funny." Meadowkit giggled. "It's actually hilarious!" A red head popped out of the apprentice den. The tom had blue eyes and a white muzzle and neck. It was Foxpaw! "Did you tell them?" he asked Boulderpaw, walking out of the den. He had a white underbelly and paws, and a bushy tail.
"Pssh, no. Of course not," the muscular tom muttered. Foxpaw gave him a sharp glare and then turned to the two of us. "Whatever. You two better not go and tell the whole clan." Meadowkit blinked at Foxpaw innocently. "What? Us? Don't you have any faith in us?"
"No," Foxpaw mewed, expressionless. Meadowkit butted her head against his shoulder. "Oh, lighten up, Foxpaw! We would never tell any cats but I'm pretty sure the clan already knows." I nodded in agreement.
Foxpaw sighed and wrapped his bushy tail around his paws. "I know you two wouldn't." He looked down at his paws. "I'm just upset that I couldn't go to the Gathering."
"At least Swiftwind is nice!" Boulderpaw growled. "Thrushflight is super strict! I'm sure he'll have me taking care of the elders all day tomorrow."
A black-and-white tom emerged from the apprentice den. It was Pouncepaw; the final troublemaking tom. "Sparrowwing is worse," he mumbled. Foxpaw and Boulderpaw exchanged a glance before nodding. "We agree with you on that," the red tom meowed.
"Wait," Boulderpaw meowed, his tail swishing from side-to-side. "Just imagine if one of us was Wolfshadow's apprentice! He'd line his nest with our pelt!" Foxpaw and Pouncepaw busted out laughing, even I giggled a little. Meadowkit, however, glared at Boulderpaw.
"He's my dad, you know?"
Boulderpaw glanced sheepishly at Meadowkit, who was crouched down, ready to spring at the laughing toms. "I-I don't mean that he isn't a good warrior! I was just saying he's really strict," Boulderpaw exclaimed, trying to defend himself.
I rested my tail on Meadowkit's shoulder, trying to soothe her. Meadowkit sighed and got up. "Whatever." Just then, the thorn tunnel rustled and Flamestar's ginger pelt appeared. She was followed closely by Thrushflight, the clan deputy, Milkeyes, the medicine cat, and Badgerstripe, Midnightspeck, and Duststorm, three senior warriors.
Meadowkit and I sprang up, our fur ruffled in excitement. "They're back!" I exclaimed, and then the two of us raced over to Flamestar. Flamestar actually really likes me; Newtfang told me she likes me so much because my birth mother, Rosetail, was Flamestar's best friend and she feels it's her duty to protect her lone kit. Rosetail was killed by a fox but I somehow survived, though, I was never told how.
"Flamestar!" I called. Flamestar turned her head, her eyes dull with sleepiness. "Hello, Snowkit and Meadowkit. Did you two stay up this whole time?"
The two of us sheepishly nodded. Flamestar nodded, a purr rumbling deep in her throat. "That's okay. Why don't we come into my den and I can tell you all about it." Meadowkit gaped at the ginger leader. "Really?" I've been allowed in her den before; I've even slept in there a couple of times! Meadowkit, however, has never been allowed in there.
Flamestar nodded and made her way up to the Highledge, Meadowkit and I scrambling after her. "Flamestar," Thrushflight called down from below the Highledge. "Shouldn't we discuss the Gathering?"
Flamestar shook her head. "We'll discuss it later, privately." Murmuring almost to herself, she added, "There isn't any real trouble anyway." Flamestar led us into her den, the moonlight giving off just enough light for us to see her den. Her moss bed was in the corner, and I scurried over to it. I noticed that Meadowkit was still standing at the entrance, her blue eyes round with confusion.
"Go on in, Meadowkit," Flamestar meowed, pushing the tortoiseshell kit in with her muzzle. Meadowkit padded over to where I was lying in the moss, and then the amusement returned to her eyes. She jumped on me and the two of us started rolling around on the floor. Flamestar let out a mrrow of laughter and then laid down in her moss.
"Alright, kits, come over here if you want to hear what happened at the Gathering."
Meadowkit and I both got up and walked over to Flamestar and laid next to her. I curled up next to her side while Meadowkit flopped down next to me, lying her chin on my shoulder. "When ThunderClan came to the Gathering, the other clans were already there. Adderstar of WindClan, Patchstar of RiverClan, and Spottedstar of ShadowClan were already seated on the Great Rock," Flamestar began.
I noticed that when she said the ShadowClan leader's name, her voice got cold and dark. 'That makes sense,' I thought to myself. 'I mean, all ShadowClan cats are evil!'
Flamestar started telling us about a new litter of RiverClan kits, two new WindClan apprentices, and a new ShadowClan warrior. Flamestar sighed, and I could feel her body tense up. "I am almost certain that ShadowClan wants to stir up trouble. We'll have to reduce our border patrols on that side of the territory."
I wanted to say something in reply but my eyelids were drooping. Meadowkit was struggling to stay awake, too. Her breathing suddenly got shallow and her eyes closed. Finally, my eyes closed, and the last thing I heard was Flamestar murmur to us, "Sleep well, future warriors of ThunderClan. In just a couple of days, your training will truly start."
A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. R/R.
