"Mother!"
Liontail's eyes flitted open hazily as she exhaled softly. She looked down at the two bundles in the curve of her belly, focusing on the grey one as it trembled in fear. The kit slowly began to look up, meeting the gaze of her mother with a beautiful, light eyes.
"Was it the monster again, my darling?" Liontail asked sympathetically. Stonekit responded with a whimper and an apologetic look at Alderkit, shameful of waking her sister with her night terrors. "I promise I will protect you, my daughter."
True to her word, Liontail whisked her tail in front of her kits, curling tighter around them. She lay her head down to make it level with Stonekit's, and curiously asked a question. "Now, what can I say to make it feel better, my dear?"
Stonekit raised her head from her paws and hesitantly looked up at the sky, in thought. She replied. "That you'll never leave me?". "Now, Stonekit, I don't know if I can quite promise that. Though I can make a vow to you that I will always be there?" Liontail replied, in a quiet voice.
Stonekit thought about the promise as a weak smile formed. "I'd like that, mother." "Now, go to sleep, my dear. I will protect you from the monster." The grey kit snuggled closer to her mother's belly, purring. Her blue eyes closed in pleasure, and soon Liontail heard the soft inhales and exhales of her sleeping kit.
Comparing Alderkit and Stonekit, she let out a sigh. Alderkit, her beautiful light ginger fur, and her lovely green eyes. A healthy kit from the start; significantly bigger, with longer legs than her sister, Stonekit. Stonekit, the "runt of the litter", a dull-coated grey kit, with a cold blue gaze. Stonekit's narcolepsy, and night terrors.
Life is so miserably unfair, my darling. I'll admit that I have had my doubts, since
we found your narcolepsy, about you becoming a warrior. Though even with your scares, and the unfair nature of life, your father, Beespots, has never given up on you. She glanced up at the sky. Neither has StarClan. And I can promise you that I never will.
Liontail felt her eyelids drooping sleepily. She slowly lowered her head, settling herself softly so as not to upset Stonekit. I promise. And with that, Liontail let the beauty of sleep overcome her.
3 moons later...
Stonekit was woken by the vigorous licking of Liontail as she darted between her two kits, struggling to clean them sufficiently. She yawned, then stood, stretching her limbs. Alderkit excitedly romped over to Stonekit, grinning widely.
Before Stonekit could do so much as open her mouth, Alderkit had already began speaking. "Stonekit! Can you believe that our apprentice ceremony is today? I wonder who my mentor will be! Do you think that either of us will get-". "Slow down, Alderkit! Today is our ceremony?" Stonekit questioned. "Well, six moons old, I should hope so!"
Stonekit looked up at Alderkit, frowning at how much smaller she was. Silently wishing she had not taken to her father's thin fur, she heard the call of Heronstar over the excitement of it all.
"May all cats old enough to swim gather underneath the Highrock!".
Alderkit leapt over the entrance to the nursery as Stonekit followed, struggling to keep up as her shorter legs made a shorter stride. Trying to leap over the entrance like her sister had, she got herself stuck halfway.
Liontail, following closely behind, gripped Stonekit's scruff, placing her outside the nursery for her to follow her sister. She quickly darted to Alderkit's side, underneath the Highrock, as cats gathered.
Watching all of her Clan stream out of their dens for the ceremony made Stonekit rather nervous, and she fidgeted on her feet, waiting for the meeting to begin. Liontail and Beespots sat proudly in the front middle of the crowd, beaming, and occasionally stealing happy glances at each other. Once all of the Clan had fumbled out of their dens, the ceremony began.
"The kits of Liontail and Beespots have reached the age of six moons, and are now prepared to take on the challenges of apprentice training."
"Alderkit. You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Alderpaw. Your mentor will be Ashenfall. I hope she will pass down all she knows on to you."
Ashenfall calmly walked up to the front of the crowd of felines and looked up at Heronstar, awaiting her cue.
"Ashenfall, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Brightwish, and you have shown yourself to be balanced and quick on your feet. You will be the mentor of Alderpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."
The two touched noses and went to sit at the back of the crowd.
"Stonekit, you have hit the age of six moons. It is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stonepaw. Your mentor will be Carptooth. I hope he will pass down all he knows to you."
They went through the same process, while other cats sat in silence.
Once done, the crowd erupted into cries of "Alderpaw! Stonepaw! Alderpaw! Stonepaw!", chanting for the newly named apprentices. Stonepaw turned back to look at her mother and father, who were smiling almost as brightly as she.