Hi all! This is Bluebird, and I'm presenting Chapter 1. It's a bit shorter than the prologue, because I didn't have a lot of material to put in Willowkit's kit days. The next one will be longer, I promise.

Disclaimer:

Bluebird: Lionkit, will you do the disclaimer?

Lionkit: Do I get to be made an apprentice?

Bluebird: If I tell you, that will ruin the story! Now get on with it!

Lionkit: Fine. If Bluebird of ThunderClan owned Warriors, then I would not be happy. I am happy, however, that Erin Hunter does, because she makes the stories interesting. Happy now, Bluebird?

Bluebird: Eh. Not really, but okay.

Review Replies:

Eternity's Ghost: Thanks! Here's the next chapter as requested! I'm glad you took the leap to have the first review.

Lilysplash: Thanks! I bequeath the next chapter to you as well!

Guest (Micky): Thanks to you as well! I love that you loved the prologue, and hope that you love chapter 1 too!

Guest (Lenaroony): Glad you liked it! I give to you chapter 1!


Chapter 1:

Willowkit slowly began to wake up from her sleep, relishing the moment in between sleep and wake. She loved this moment, where she could be in peace, without worrying about…. Stop! She forced herself, not wanted to taint these special few minutes. Willowkit hissed as she felt a paw in her side. Lionkit. Lionkit always wanted to play leader games. She would always be Willowstar, and he would be Lionstorm, her faithful deputy. Birdkit would be Birdsong the medicine cat, and Sandkit, Lionkit's sister, would be Sandsky, a queen with two kits. The kits would be Frostkit and Harekit, a she-cat and a tom. Sandkit had them all planned out, Frostkit would be pure white with bright blue eyes and her warrior name would be Frostfeather. Harekit would be light brown with white feet. His warrior name would be Harefoot, and he would later be Harestar. Willowkit always scoffed at that, planning your kit's lives when you're still a kit. She slowly opened her eyes, and hissed again at Lionkit. Willowkit stretched, and blinked at Lionkit, who was bouncing up and down with excitement. Willowkit scorned him; he was too bouncy and energetic. She cocked her head, wondering why he seemed more excited this one particular morning. She figured that she would know soon, Lionkit was always speaking his mind.

"Willowkit! Willowkit! Wake up! We're going to play a new game! Instead of you being Willowstar, you're going to be… Willowleap and I'll be Lionstar. You can be my deputy. Sandkit will Sandcloud the medicine cat, and Birdkit will be hmm… Birdflower the queen with four kits. The kits will be Driftkit, Cloudkit, Stormkit, and Featherkit. Driftkit is a tom and will become Driftclaw. Cloudkit and Featherkit are she-kits and will become Cloud song and Featherstream. Stormkit is a tom and will become Stormrush, later Stormstar. There! Now you're up Willowkit, I mean Willowleap, we can start to play! All I need to do is find Birdkit, and wake up Sandkit…"

Willowkit tuned out Lionkit; he was always too energetic and playful. It got on Willowkit's nerves, so she simply stopped interacting. Lionkit bounced up and down, poking Sandkit with his paw. Willowkit curled back up next to Nightfeather, who was still asleep. She closed her eyes fleetingly for a moment, before a certain golden paw jammed into her side. She snuggled closer to Nightfeather, drinking in her mother's scent as if she would never smell it again. Again the paw jabbed against her. Willowkit struggled against the paw, her gray dappled silver fur becoming more and more ruffled with each knock. Willowkit sighed and glanced up to see round green eyes on a golden face. Lionkit.

She pushed herself to her paws, drowsily following Lionkit, knowing what would happen when the other cats saw what game they were playing. She smirked, not bothering to warn Lionkit. Birdkit trotted up next to her, it seemed she had been in the dirtplace, judging by the scent on her pelt. Willowkit wrinkled her pink nose, gently whispering to Birdkit the problem. The light brown she-kit's blue eyes widened, and then narrowed in embarrassment. She began drawing a rough, pink tongue over her pelt, and Willowkit helped her too. They had stopped, and when Lionkit found out, he pelted back across the SparrowClan camp. He started bouncing in front of them, waiting impatiently. Willowkit sighed and stopped washing Birdkit, and the two of them followed him over to Sandkit, who was waiting patiently. Lionkit bounced on top of the Pile of Pebbles, a mini kit clearing made for games like this. The Pile of Pebbles was a small version of the Pile of Rocks. Lionkit yowled out,

"Hear me, SparrowClan! It is time to appoint a new warrior and deputy. Come forward Birdflower, the queen, and Sandcloud, the medicine cat. Willowpaw, would you please step near the Pile of Pebbles. I, Lionstar-"

A hiss sounded throughout the clearing. Gorsewind grabbed Lionkit's scruff and stared at him. He hissed at him through clenched teeth,

"Lionkit. Don't you dare do that again! You should know that in all kit games, Willowkit has to be leader. Birdkit has to be the medicine cat. It has been Chosen. I'll have to report this to Flamestar. If you do this again, Flamestar might change your status as back up at the next Gathering."

Lionkit nodded, his face wide with terror. Gorsewind leaped off of him, and trudged back in the SparrowClan camp. He poked his head into Flamestar's den, and Lionkit's eyes widened even further. He got up, gazing with fear around the nursery, and scampered back, followed by a confused Sandkit, a fearful Birdkit, and a bored Willowkit.

Five Moons Later

Willowkit blinked open her bright blue eyes. She saw her mother washing Birdkit, and remembered that today was Birdkit's apprentice ceremony! Medicine cats were apprenticed at a half moon, so Birdkit's ceremony was two days before Willowkit's, Lionkit's, and Sandkit's. Nightfeather was grooming Birdkit's light brown fur and white paws, so that she looked as if she were sent from StarClan. Birdkit was perfect after all. StarClan's perfect medicine cat, with the perfect name, perfect position, perfect reputation, perfect everything. Willowkit wanted to be like her, but no, she was called Willowkit. Willows were bendy, weak, trees, unlike caring, flying, special birds. Birdkit was even becoming an apprentice before her! Willowkit was pouting quietly, refusing to watch Birdkit be washed by Nightfeather. Birdkit was perfectly still, her light brown fur glossy. Willowkit turned her head to look at her own silver fur splashed with gray. She began to give her own fur a few, half-hearted licks.

Nightfeather stopped licking Birdkit and stepped back to look at her. Birdkit was shining, her light brown fur glossy. She looked like she had stepped into snow up to her knees. Birdkit was perfect! Birchblaze, Willowkit's father, stepped into the nursery, his eyes gleaming proudly. Willowkit looked up at him, hoping for some attention. Unfortunately, Birchblaze's amber game was all for Birdkit.

"Let all cats old enough to jump for their own prey gather beneath the Pile of Rocks for a meeting of SparrowClan!"

Flamestar's yowl sounded throughout the clearing, Birdkit's perfect little face worried, and her perfect blue eyes widened. Nightfeather reviewed her daughter proudly, and Willowkit couldn't help but wonder if Nightfeather would do the same to her next quarter moon. Birchblaze hurried out of the nursery, followed by Nightfeather and Birdkit. Willowkit stayed where she was, hoping one of her family would notice that she wasn't with them. She stayed perfectly still for a few moments, then following resignedly. Birdkit was sitting as still as possible under the Pile of Rocks, gazing up at Flamestar with wide blue eyes. Birchblaze and Nightfeather were sitting together in the front, watching Birdkit, bursting with pride. Berryfern, the medicine cat, stepped out of the medicine den, a shady corner in the fern ridden hollow that was SparrowClan's camp. Willowkit didn't know where to go, to her parents in the front row, or to sit alone in the back. Unfortunately for Willowkit, Lionkit saw her looking lost and beckoned for her to sit next to him and Sandkit. Suddenly, Willowkit got a very good idea. If she ignored Birdkit, and became best friends with Lionkit instead of her sister, then that would make Birdkit jealous. Only Willowkit knew what happened when Birdkit was jealous. Maybe, just maybe, if Nightfeather and Birchblaze saw what happened when Birdkit was jealous, then they would pay more attention to her. Why was Birdkit so special, Willowkit was Chosen to be leader! Then again, Willowkit wouldn't be leader for another eight seasons, while Birdkit would have her full medicine cat name sooner, even though she would still be an apprentice. Willowkit would have to wait forever until she was a warrior, then until she had an apprentice, then deputy, and finally, eight seasons later, leader. Birdkit would be fine to be a medicine cat within the next season and a half, while Willowkit wouldn't be ready until she was deputy, probably in about two to three seasons; depending on the amount of time it took for her to become a deputy. Still, one day, Willowkit would be Willowstar, and Nightfeather, Birchblaze, and Birdkit would be bowing down to her. Willowkit was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Flamestar call,

"Silence, SparrowClan. Birdkit has reached the half-moon closest to her sixth moon, and is ready to become an apprentice. I Chose her, with help from Berryfern, to become a medicine cat apprentice. The other three clans and their medicine cats approved, and so it shall be. StarClan will approve Birdkit tonight, at the Light Pool. From now on, she has been given her medicine cat name; Birdkit will be known as Birdpaw. Berryfern is our medicine cat, and it is time for her to take on a Chosen apprentice. Let Birdpaw put her paws on the path of becoming a medicine cat, as it says in her new name!"

SparrowClan began to yowl out Birdpaw's name, chanting Willowkit's perfect sister's name over and over again.

"Birdpaw! Birdpaw! Birdpaw! Birdpaw!"

Birdpaw basked in the glory of her clanmates' calls, waiting as each one congratulated her. Willowkit began to smile as she realized that this was the perfect time to start her plan. She bounded over to Lionkit, hopping up and down with excitement.

"Lionkit! Lionkit! I just had the best idea for a game! Let's grab some sticks from behind the nursery, stick moss balls one them, and try to hit the moss balls! They'll have to be really long sticks, and we'll stick them in the ground."

Lionkit caught on to the idea, and before long was bouncing up and down in pace with Willowkit. They bounded together behind the nursery, and Willowkit smirked, knowing perfectly well that Birdpaw would now realize that one cat hadn't congratulated her. Lionkit and Sandkit had meowed some congrats before leaving with Willowkit, so they weren't her targets. Willowkit herself was. Lionkit didn't see her smirk though, because he was hunting for a long stick. He suddenly turned around, and Willowkit wiped the smirk off of her face, putting an excited expression on. She pressed her nose to the ground, pretending to look for a stick.

"Willowkit! Willow get over here!"

Willowkit turned around, annoyed that Birdpaw had used her prename, Willow, instead of Willowkit. She frowned, turned, and began to trudge out of the small kit play clearing behind the nursery. Birdpaw was waiting for her, her perfect light brown fur still sleek. Birdpaw narrowed her eyes at Willowkit.

"Oh, I guess you're too good for me Willowkit."

She spat, her losing her calm demeanor as Willowkit played the innocent kit, the Of course I'm still friends with you but inside I'm not kit. Birdpaw put emphasis on the kit part of Willowkit's name, trying to

"I guess that old me isn't enough for you. You have to be with your 'future mate' Lionkit. Is that why you didn't come to congratulate your good old sister?"

Willowkit widened her crystal blue eyes, sitting and wrapping her silver tail around her paws. She opened her mouth in fake surprise, then closed it, and then spoke, trying desperately not to let a devilish smirk spread across her face.

"Oh, Birdkit, what do you want to be congratulated for? Being the best sister in the world? You weren't very nice to me just now."

Birdpaw almost exploded from fury. Willowkit knew just how to play her sister, just how to get under her fur. Berryfern poked her head into the nursery where Birdpaw and Willowkit were talking. Berryfern eyes widened at Birdpaw's look of fury, and her ruffled fur. Birdpaw was facing away from the entrance, so only Willowkit saw her. In her anger, Birdpaw didn't smell or hear Berryfern, all of her attention focused on Willowkit. Birdpaw spat at Willowkit,

"Did you not come to the ceremony? Did you not come to see my perfect ceremony? Why not, Willowkit? Why not come to congratulate your perfect sister whose going to become a medicine cat?"

Berryfern's eyes even further, and she frowned, and then let her tail tip rest on Birdpaw's shoulder. Her green eyes were smoldering when she hissed at Birdpaw,

"Birdpaw. I thought you knew that a medicine cat should be peaceful. I thought you were only going over to comfort your sister. I accepted that because I thought she might be upset by the fact that she has to wait. As punishment, instead of learning herbs today, we will restock my supply of moss. Don't do that again. Come."

Birdpaw whipped around and sighed, following Berryfern. Willowkit lay down, tucking her paws under her chest to think. If she ignored Birdpaw, and played the naïve game, maybe Berryfern would see that Birdpaw wasn't fit to become a medicine cat. Maybe Willowkit could take her place! Lionkit could be leader, he wasn't that bad. Nightfeather padded into the nursery and spotted Willowkit. Willowkit drooped her eyes, pretending to be tired. Nightfeather took the bait, and swept her tail around Willowkit without a word and put her in the nest. Nightfeather curled up around Willowkit, and the warmth coming from her mother's black fur lulled Willowkit into sleeping. Before she fell asleep, Willowkit had one last thought,

Maybe I'll be an apprentice before long, and my plan will be easier. Maybe then Berryfern will see how fit I am to be a medicine cat.


Done! I have a question for you to answer in the reviews. Without looking at the prologue (see if you can do it!), who was the Chosen medicine cat of GustClan? Try not to look back, it'll ruin the fun! If you review, you get a Willowkit plushie and an extra cookie for answering the question right! That being said... please review!

- Bluebird