Chapter 1

Hawkkit stared through the darkness, he tried to take a step but fell, he heard a voice near him.

"Hawkkit open your eyes!"

Hawkkit stretched open his eyes to a bright, green area.

Whoa, this is where the dark lead to?

"Great StarClan!" yowled a dark grey tom in front of him.

"Heatherbreeze, look at Hawkkit!" the dark grey tom yowled again.

A silver she cat stirred from her sleep and looked at Hawkkit. Her eyes slowly widened.

"Hey its okay!" meowed the lighter grey tom. "It looks amazing,"

"I'm Lightningkit by the way, and the darker tom is Wolfkit, we are your littermates,"

"Whats wrong with me?" Hawkkit whispered

Lightningkit looked at him and then looked at Heatherbreeze who was still looking at Hawkkit in terror.

"We are leaving for a little bit," Lightningkit announced

"Hey can I come?" Wolfkit piped up

Lightningkit narrowed his eyes at him.

"Only if you can be nice to Hawkkit," he growled

"Okay, okay!" Wolfkit mewed. "Besides, he's our brother, we have to be nice to him,"

The three brothers left the nursery, and their still in shock mother and padded outside.

Hawkkit felt the warm Green-leaf air and Lightningkit led him to a puddle.

"Look in the puddle," he ordered

Hawkkit stepped to the puddle and looked down, he gasped.

"My eyes! They're two different colors!" he gasped.

"That's never happened before," came a voice from behind. "Wolfkit announced it to the whole Clan,"

"And whats wrong with that Coldsky?" challenged Lightningkit.

"We think it's a curse from StarClan, Creekwater wants to see him," Coldsky growled.

Lightningkit growled.

Fine," he meowed, "Hawkkit, come on, Creekwater is a medicine cat, she can't hurt you,"

Hawkkit still stared at his reflection until he felt Wolfkit's tail tip.

"Come on, it will be fine," he reassured

Hawkkit walked away from the puddle without a word with Wolfkit. When Hawkkit arrived at the medicine den, Creekwater and Redheart were already waiting. Wolfkit left him with them and padded to Lightningkit whose eyes were full of fury.

Lightningkit leaped onto Wolfkit with a loud hiss.

"You said you would be nice!" growled Lightningkit, "Not announce it to the whole Clan! I wouldn't be surprised if your warrior name was Wolfheart because that's what you are!"

Wolfkit whimpered and a scared meow escaped him.

A gold and white tom let out a mrrow of amusement and nudged a brown tabby tom.

"Look Mudstripe, brotherly love for Hawkkit," he meowed

"Oh stop Lionnose," Mudstripe replied before turning away again.

Hawkkit stared at Creekwater and Redheart, who stared at him back.

"You aren't going to hurt me right?" Hawkkit whispered.

"No Hawkkit," Creekwater answered warmly.

Hawkkit felt his fur lie flat and he sheathed his claws and sat up.

"We just wanted to look at your unusual… feature," Redheart meowed, fascinated. "You can go back to the nursery now,"

"So, I'm not a curse from StarClan?" asked Hawkkit.

"Well, you don't appeared to be a curse," laughed Creekwater softly. "Now go,"

Hawkkit turned away to head back to the nursery but three cats stopped to look at him.

"Whoa! It is true!" meowed a she cat, taking a good look at Hawkkit's face.

Hawkkit bristled and bared his teeth.

"Everyone stop staring at me!" he yowled angrily. "I'm just a normal cat like the rest of you! I just have two different eye colors!"

The she cats backed away slowly and Hawkkit's spine rose sharply.

Suddenly, he felt teeth grab his scruff.

"Calm yourself!" hissed a grey tom.

"Goldenfur is right Hawkkit, you should listen to your father more!" teased the one of the she cats

Goldenfur carried the still struggling Hawkkit back to the nursery and placed him near Heatherbreeze.

"No!" she yowled. "Get him away from me! He is a curse!"

Hawkkit stared at his mother in shock.

"Heatherbreeze, Hawkkit is just the same as all the other cats, with just a slight difference," growled Goldenfur.

Heatherbreeze's eyes rounded into moons and she turned away from Hawkkit and padded to her nest in the nursery.

Hawkkit's ears twitched and he stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Goldenfur.

"I have to feed myself now," Hawkkit mewed without looking at him.

Hawkkit left Goldenfur at the entrance of the nursery and padded to the fresh-kill pile.

"Hello Hawkkit!" A happy yowl came from behind him.

"Hello Lightningkit," Hawkkit muttered.

Lightningkit's tail drooped as he saw Hawkkit's expression.

"Did something happen while you were with Creekwater?" he asked

Hawkkit shook his head

"Come on Hawkkit you can tell me! I'm your brother!"

Hawkkit looked at Lightningkit straight in the eye.

"Heatherbreeze doesn't love me anymore," he whispered.

Lightningkit's eyes narrowed.

"I thought so," he growled

Hawkkit looked at him shocked.

"You did?" He meowed

"Right when you opened your eyes Heatherbreeze thought you were no good… Anyways," Lightningkit mewed, changing the subject. "If you are looking for something to eat, eat starling, those birds are amazing! I'm pretty sure the hunting patrol caught one today," Lightningkit meowed.

Hawkkit padded to the fresh-kill pile and Lightningkit snatched a grey bird off the pile.

"Enjoy!" mewed Lightningkit as he padded off.

Hawkkit picked the bird up and examined it.

You aren't even going to tell me how to eat past the feathers? Hawkkit flattened his ears and tore out the feathers with his teeth and started tearing through the bird.

Lightningkit was right! This bird is better than anything I've ever eaten! Hawkkit finished off the bird and started grooming himself by a small creek.

"Hawkkit?" a voice came from behind him.

Hawkkit whipped around to see one of the she cats that had picked on him.

"What do you want?" growled Hawkkit, fur ruffling.

"I just wanted to say sorry for how I teased you earlier," she said calmly. "My name is Whitepaw by the way,"

Hawkkit twitched his ear and brushed past her to the camp.

Suddenly, a loud yowl sounded from the camp entrance.

"The border patrol!" Windsong gasped.

"Get Creekwater!" Thistlebelly yowled.

Sparrowstar jumped to his paws on the High Ledge.

"Shadepelt, what happened?" demanded Sparrowstar.

"ShadowClan," she rasped, blood pooling around her paws. "Invasion…" trailing off, she collapsed.

"Fleetleap and Ripplewind are dead!" Pinetail yowled.

Sparrowstar growled.

"You all heard what Shadepelt said correct?" Coldsky growled. "Prepare for invasion!"

Coldsky flashed an intimidating glance at Hawkkit before padded off.

"Hawkkit come on!" Wolfkit yowled.

Hawkkit bounded over to the nursery where he immediately heard his mother screech.

"It's something to do with him! Goldenfur its him I can tell, his eyes brought the invasion to us!" Heatherbreeze cried.

"Hawkkit has nothing to do with the invasion or any other problems in the Clan," Goldenfur growled, "You need to stop worrying, Hawkkit is like all of us in a different way"

Hawkkit growled and stormed into the nursery.

"Here! Help put up some brambles!" Lightningkit meowed.

"Lionnose told us to do so, that should be a warrior's or an apprentice's duty," Wolfkit muttered.

Right as he said that, a yowl sounded from the clearing, Taloncloud, ShadowClan's deputy stood on a hill, with a large patrol of cats.

"Kill all of them! Show no mercy!" Taloncloud yowled.

Hissing and growling, ShadowClan raced down the hill and pounced on warriors and apprentices.

"Hurry!" Wolfkit yelped.

Hawkkit threw the last bramble on and guarded the entrance, and Wolfkit jumped beside him.

"Well it appears we both have the same ferocity levels," Wolfkit laughed nervously.

Hawkkit nodded, he wanted to be the most violent and feared warrior of the forest.

No wait what am I thinking? Warriors protect and defend… not tear each other up like foxes. Hawkkit crouched at the entrance, claws unsheathed, he had no training what so ever but he tried his best to stand ground, Heatherbreeze was curled up in the corner of the nursery, shivering with fear.

"This is all your fault," she whispered. "We are going to die today,"

"Do I always have to be the blame? Huh?" Hawkkit challenged. "Have you heard of Mothflight? WindClan's first medicine cat she had to two different eye colors according to Snowfang! And she discovered the Moonstone!" Hawkkit bared his teeth.

"Hawkkit calm down," mewed Wolfkit, "We aren't supposed to be that ferocious, stay focused on the battleklll"

Hawkkit peered through a crack in the brambles, he saw blood everywhere then, a blue eye appeared at the crack.

"Well well," she meowed, clawing at the brambles.

Hawkkit jumped back and braced himself.

A tortoiseshell she cat jumped onto him, claws digging into his pelt.

Hawkkit snarled and clawed at the she cat's muzzle, and a long cut appeared but the she cat didn't even flinch.

"Brave little warrior!" she sneered, hurling him away. She stepped in front of Heatherbreeze.

"And who else do we have?"

Hawkkit jumped in front of Heatherbreeze, and Lightningkit and Wolfkit jumped beside him.

"Put one claw on my mother and I am going to tear out your eyes and shove them down your throat," Hawkkit hissed.

Heatherbreeze opened her eyes.

"Hawkkit.." she started.

The she cat laughed and jumped onto Lightningkit, Hawkkit and Wolfkit leaped onto her back and scrabbled at her back with their long, small claws.

"Good thing that long claws run in the family," Wolfkit smiled.

Hawkkit smiled back, he jumped down under the she cat and raked her belly, she jumped.

"Lightningkit get up!" Hawkkit yowled.

Lightningkit didn't move, but there was little blood.

Lightningkit twitched his whiskers and Hawkkit saw what he was trying to do.

Hawkkit turned to the she cat who was covered in tiny scratches, Wolfkit stepped beside him.

"You killed my brother!" Wolfkit howled and leaped at her but she already had both kits pinned on the ground.

"Enough playtime," she hissed, her claws unsheathed. But then she froze, and collapsed, and blood sprayed over the nursery, Goldenfur was standing behind her, claws coated with blood. Lightningkit stood up.

"Good idea playing dead," Wolfkit licked the blood off his face.

"Thanks," Lightningkit meowed, helping Hawkkit fix the brambles on the nursery. Goldenfur rejoined the battle and the kits returned to their crouched position.

"You know, you would be a better mother if your own kits didn't have to defend their mother, you are better than that," Wolfkit growled.

Hawkkit felt Heatherbreeze flinch but he didn't look.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, standing up and un sheathing her claws.

"That's better," Lightningkit spoke before Wolfkit could, "Now you don't look like a worthless bundle of fur,"

Heatherbreeze's tail drooped and she hung her head. Hawkkit was surprised at his littermate's strong words.

For a very long moment, nothing happened, but a few claws dragged the brambles away from the nursery, and at the entrance, stood Blackmoon.

"It's safe now," she muttered, padding off, leaving bloody paw steps.

As Hawkkit stepped out, he heard a wail.

"Ivypaw! Ivypaw! Wake up!" Brightpaw wailed in despair. Mosspaw look at her sister's bloody body with sad eyes.

"Creekwater! Redheart! Do something!" Brightpaw yowled.

"I'm sorry, Brightpaw," Redheart touched Ivypaw's body. "She's gone,"

Brightpaw's eyes slitted and she ran off into the moor, Squirrelfall, Brightpaw's mentor ran off to follow her.

All cats injured head to the medicine den now!" Coldsky yowled

"Hold on," Sparrowstar meowed. "Creekwater please treat all the injured in the clearing, I have a Clan message,"

Creekwater stared at him in confusion but beckoned Redheart to bring some herbs.

"Cats of WindClan," Sparrowstar's voice rang out through the moor, "We have lost four warriors today, Fleetleap and Ripplewind in the border patrol and Duskclaw and Ivypaw in today's invasion, but I believe, they have not died in vain, they did what they could to protect the Clan and for that I would like to thank for all they have done"

"Ripplewind! Fleetleap! Ivypaw! Duskclaw!" the Clan cheered.

Sparrowstar silenced them with a wave of his tail.

"But, we will have a new change here," he growled, his voice low. "We need early apprentices and warriors!" he yowled to the sky.

The whole Clan gasped.

"Well there goes Sparrowstar, breaking the warrior code again," Snowfang hissed.

"StarClan will never agree!" Creekwater's voice rose above all others. "You are challenging your luck with StarClan Sparrowstar, they shall never respect your decisions,"

"Silence!" Sparrowstar hissed. "It doesn't matter what I decide to do, ShadowClan will attack again I'm sure of it! And what if our warriors are still heavily injured and can't fight? We need fresh claws to help fight!"

"Sparrowstar its only an invasion, we have experience with them before, this is no different," Smallflower meowed.

"Invasions from ShadowClan are different!" Sparrowstar hissed. "They are vicious dogs with no mercy! My decision is final we will have new claws and spirits to join the next battle,"

"Whats happening?" Squirrelfall asked, padding into camp with Brightpaw.

"Sparrowstar is becoming Brokenstar," meowed Mudstripe.

Sparrowstar flattened his ears.

"Mosspaw, Brightpaw," He meowed, "Step forward,"

"I, Sparrowstar , leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices, they have trained hard to understand the ways off your noble code, and I commend them them to you as warriors in their turn."

"Brightpaw, Mosspaw, do promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Brightpaw whispered.

"I don't know… it doesn't" Mosspaw began before Sparrowstar flashed her a stone cold glare. "I do," meowed Mosspaw.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names, Brightpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Brightstream, StarClan honors your thoughtfulness and determination, Mosspaw from this moment on you shall be known as Mosspool, StarClan honors your honesty and energy,"Sparrowstar finished.

"Brightstream! Mosspool! Brightstream! Mosspool!"

Sparrowstar rested his muzzle on both of their heads in turn and they both licked his shoulder.

"Now Bramblepaw, Whitepaw, Marigoldpaw, and Rainpaw," Wolfkit whispered. "Wow Sparrowstar has a lot of names to give!"

"I Sparrowstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices, they have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn,"

"Bramblepaw, Rainpaw, Whitepaw, and Marigoldpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend the Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do!" came the excited cry from Bramblepaw

"I do," meowed Whitepaw

"I do," Marigoldpaw mewed.

"I do," came the shy whisper from Rainpaw.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names, Bramblepaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Bramblefire, StarClan honors your fighting skill and courage, Rainpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Rainheart, StarClan honors your speed and kindness. Whitepaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Whitefrost, StarClan honors your initiative and cleverness, Marigoldpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Marigoldsong, StarClan honors your determination and independence. We welcome you all as full warriors of WindClan," meowed Sparrowstar, as he rested his muzzle on their heads in turn.

"Bramblefire! Rainheart! Whitefrost! Marigoldsong! Bramblefire! Rainheart! Whitefrost! Marigoldsong!" the Clan cheered.

"Now onto apprentices," Sparrowstar flicked his tail.

"Wolfkit, Lightningkit, and Hawkkit, you have all reached the age of apprenticeship, and it is time for you to be apprenticed, from this day on, until you have earned your warrior names, you will be known as Wolfpaw, Lightningpaw, and Hawkpaw," Sharprunner, you are ready to take on an apprentice, you have received excellent training from Echostar herself,and you have proven to be spirited and strong, and I expect you to pass on all these skills to Hawkpaw,"

Hawkpaw's ears perked Sharprunner is one of the strongest fighters in the forest! Hawkpaw bounded really fast to Sharprunner, hoping to impress him with his speed and touched his nose.

"Streamlight," Sparrowstar continued," You are ready to take on an apprentice, you have excelled in training from Nightflower, and you have proven to be thoughtful and enthusiastic, I hope you pass on these skills to Lightningpaw,"

Hawkpaw watched his brother bound to Streamlight and touch her nose.

"And Buzzardclaw, you are ready to take on an apprentice, you have had excellent training from Cloudstripe, and you have proven to be loyal and brave, I hope you pass on all you know to Wolfpaw," Sparrowstar finished with a long sigh of relief.

Wolfpaw slitted his eyes at the thought, Hawkpaw knew there had been issues with him and Buzzardclaw when he was a few moons younger, but Wolfpaw ran to him and touched his nose.

"Clan dismissed," called Sparrowstar, jumping down from the High Ledge.

"Sparrowstar you can't do this! StarClan won't allow it!" Creekwater and Redheart protested in unison.

Hawkpaw felt a nudge behind him and he looked up at Sharprunner.

"Well are we going to train or not?" Sharprunner asked.

"Oh… yeah!" Hawkpaw bounced into the air.

Sharprunner purred.

"Follow me,"

Sharprunner bounded out of camp and Hawkpaw was at his tail and they stopped at an area filled with large animals and a marshy area.

"That's the Horseplace," Sharprunner explained, "Those big animals are horses, they don't attack but we think they are somewhat blind, they might kick you for no reason, and beyond the Horseplace is RiverClan, now lets continue,"

"Okay," Hawkpaw mewed, and ran off after him.

"You know," Sharprunner meowed, "I honestly think your eyes might be a blessing… for maybe like better vision… have you heard of the Three?"

"Yes I have," Hawkpaw bounded through the forest, struggling to keep up with him.

"Well I think you might be… you know connected," Sharprunner stopped by a line of forest trees. "This is ThunderClan territory, and other there," he pointed to a large amount of distance and hills. "Is Mothermouth, which is where the Moonstone is you will be going there tomorrow night, and after that night is the Gathering,"

Hawkpaw nodded, This is a lot to take in!

"Anyways we should head back," suggested Sharprunner. "Okay," agreed Hawkpaw, he was exhausted.

They raced back to camp, when they arrived, Sharprunner lead him away to a sandy area with a dead oak tree.

"Okay, this is the Training Hollow, you will be doing most of your training here, lets get started," mewed Sharprunner.

"But it's getting dark!" protested Hawkpaw.

"The only way I am able to navigate my way through the moor, knowing every stone and bush in the forest, was night training, my mentor, Echostar, told me to stalk mice and we did battle training and we ran through the forest at night," Sharprunner twitched his ear in annoyance. "If you want to be a good warrior, you have to know your territory in the darkest of nights,"

"Don't you get tired or hungry?" frowned Hawkpaw.

"If a fox was chasing you in the middle of the night would you worry about hunger?" questioned Sharprunner.

"Good point," Hawkpaw muttered.

"Now onto battle training," Sharprunner jumped onto a rock.

"First move I will teach you is very basic, it is the forepaw slash, all you have to do is slice down your opponent's face or body, very simple, watch,"

Sharprunner stood on his hind paws for a heartbeat before slashing through the air.

"Now you try," mewed Sharprunner.

Hawkpaw leaped onto his hind paws, almost losing balance, but he slashed through the air.

"Good enough," praised Sharprunner, "Work on balance next time, you can use your tail,"

"Now next move is simple as well, which is to simply play dead, when you feel you can't go on, just fall to the ground, your opponent will assume you are dead, and you can surprise them by attacking back, try it" Sharprunner meowed.

Sharprunner leaped onto Hawkpaw, claws sheathed and began 'clawing' at him Hawkpaw let himself go limp and he lay still.

"Good," Sharprunner turned around, "We should head back to camp,"

Hawkpaw turned and leaped onto him and his weight forced Sharprunner to the ground.

"Surprise enough?" Hawkpaw laughed.

"Very good, I was honestly not expecting that," Sharprunner purred.

"Anyways yes, I feel like we need food and rest," Hawkpaw agreed and burst off to camp.

When he got there, everyone was already sleeping, he grabbed a rabbit off the fresh kill pile and ate the entire thing in a matter of heartbeats, then he padded to the apprentice den, and fell asleep at soon as his head hit the nest.