Scene two, take two! Thanks to Moonstorm12, who is now beta-ing this!

When Flamekit woke up it was dawn. His sister Silverkit was still asleep. Upon a first glance, it would seem that Flamekit's mother Cinderheart was asleep too. But when she felt the flame-coloured tom stir Cinderheart opened one eye. Flamekit wriggled closer to the grey queen.

"Stop wriggling, or you will wake Silverkit," whispered Cinderheart. " Why don't you go outside until your sister can join you? Try not to get too dirty though, it's your apprentice ceremony today!" she added. Flamekit felt a rush of anticipation and excitement. Today was the day that he would start his training to be a warrior. What will my warrior name be? Flamekit wondered. Flamefur? Flameclaw? I can't wait to be a real warrior! Cinderheart nosed her daydreaming kit out of the nest. Flamekit scampered out of the nursery and into the sandy clearing that was the middle of the camp.

The dawn patrol was headed towards the tunnel leading out into the forest. Squirrelflight was leading with Cloudtail, Bumblestipe and Poppyfrost following her. Flamekit bounded up to the warriors.

"It's my apprentice ceremony today!" he mewed proudly, puffing out his chest.

"It sure is, Flamekit," said Squirrelflight. "Have you got any idea of who your mentor might be?" The fire-orange tom tilted his head to the left. Flamekit hadn't thought about that. He shook his head. There was a short silence as the small tom was lost in his thoughts.

"I have no idea. I'd rather wait anyway, and find out later," said Flamekit eventually. "Do you know who it will be?" he asked Squirrelflight.

"Yes," the deputy told Flamekit. "Bramblestar asked for my opinion yesterday. Last night he gave me his decision." Flamekit felt a spark of curiosity. He wanted to know who his mentor would be. But at the same time Flamekit also didn't want to know and ruin the surprise. Squirrelflight probably wouldn't tell me anyway, he decided. The orange tabby tom sat and watched as the patrol walked in single file out of camp. Poppyfrost paused in front of Flamekit and touched noses with him.

"I'm sure you will make a great apprentice. Good luck for later," she meowed. Flamekit thanked Poppyfrost and watched as the tortoiseshell warrior ran to catch up with the others. Very soon Flamekit was alone in the middle of camp. The tom's belly rumbled and he felt a pang of hunger. Flamekit glanced at the fresh-kill pile. There was only a mouse and a shrew left. The kit padded over and took the mouse in his jaws.

Flamekit crouched down and bit into the prey. It wasn't warm anymore, as it was caught yesterday morning but to the little cat eating in the peace of the morning, the mouse tasted delicious. Flamekit had been allowed to eat prey for a moon and a half. He was used to the flavour but it was still exciting to bite into the soft flesh and chew the meat. Milk seemed boring now compared to eating real food. Flamekit suddenly had a thought. This might be my last meal as a kit. The next time I eat I might be Flamepaw. This thought excited Flamekit and he couldn't stop himself from bouncing up and down, purring loudly.

"Hello Flamekit. Are you cold?" mewed Bramblestar from behind, making Flamekit jump in surprise. The kit's fur burned with embarrassment.

"Uh, no Bramblestar," Flamekit mewed sheepishly. "I'm just excited about today, you know with my ceremony and all." The brown tabby nodded his strong head. Flamekit went back to his meal, partly so that he couldn't embarrass himself further as well as hunger.

"I do know," Bramblestar replied. " I was very excited when the day I became an apprentice too. Tawnypelt was as well." he added wistfully, the ThunderClan leader's amber eyes full of regret.

Flamekit had heard about Bramblestar's sister, who left shortly after becoming an apprentice to join ShadowClan. Tawnypelt left to be with her father Tigerstar, the reason being that she didn't feel welcome in ThunderClan. Many cats did not trust Bramblestar and Tawnypelt because their father was one of the most evil cats to ever live, although at the time only ThunderClan knew that Tigerstar was bad. Bramblestar was also half-brother to the RiverClan medicine cat, Mothwing. It was pretty unusual to have kin in two Clans other than your own.

A rustle from the warriors den got Flamekit's attention. He snapped his head around to look at what made the sound. Dovewing and Bumblestripe walked out of the den side-by-side, tails entwined. Will I ever have a mate? Flamekit wondered. The orange tom watched the two love-birds settle down at the edge of the clearing and start sharing tounges.

"It won't be long before we have more kits," remarked Bramblestar, who was also watching the warriors. Flamekit just nodded. "Now that you and your sister are going to be apprenticed, I think that Daisy might get a bit bored with no one to look after." Flamekit nodded again. Just then a flash of silver at the edge of the kit's vision told him that Silverkit had woken. She was bounding over to greet her brother.

"Hey Flamekit! How long have you been up? Are you excited for the apprentice ceremony? Who do you think our mentors might be?" Silverkit was obviously overexcited and bouncing up and down with energy. Bramblestar waved his tail good-bye and went to join some other warriors. Flamekit shrugged at Silverkit.

"I dunno. Do you wanna play a game?" mewed the tom. His sister's blue eyes lit up in excitement. Silverkit swiped playfully, albeit not gently, at her brother's muzzle with claws sheathed. She then turned around and bolted off, hindpaws kicking up sand as she went. Flamekit squeaked in surprise, ignoring his aching nose.

"Can't catch me!" Silverkit teased, head twisted backwards to throw her words over a shoulder. Flamekit took off after her as fast as his short legs would carry him.

"Oh yes I can!" panted the orange kit as he struggled to catch up to Silverkit. The silver she-kit was faster than Flamekit, so plus a head start her brother had no hope of catching Silverkit. Despite that fact, the two littermates played and chased until they were both panting and gasping for breath. Flamekit lied down next to Silverkit and looked up at the sky. Although I want to be an apprentice, it's times like these that make me love being a kit, he thought. Little did the orange cat know that his mother had just come out of the nursery and was now behind them.

"What happened to you two?" exclaimed Cinderheart, who was staring, horrified, at her kit's dirty and ruffled pelts. She had always been a bit of a neat freak, something that neither of her kits had understood. Immediately, the wide-eyed queen started roughly washing Silverkit's head.

"Dove...wing!" called Cinderheart in-between licks. "I need...your...help!" The pale grey she-cat quickly came padding over.

"What do you nee-" Dovewing started to say but broke off when she saw the kits. "Oh."

Suddenly Flamekit felt his fur being smoothed and cleaned by a strong tounge as Dovewing washed him. The tiny tom tried to squirm away but the she-cat just held him down with one grey paw. It took several minutes to clean the kits, even with both she-cats working hard. Finally, Flamekit was released. As he glanced down at his belly, Flamekit saw that his fur was perfectly clean and shiny. He decided that he liked it better that way. Cinderheart and Dovewing were sitting together admiring the kits, now nice and neat. Then Flamekit saw his mother narrow her eyes.

"You better not mess yourselves up again before your ceremony," she told them sternly.

"We won't Cinderheart," her kits promised. Just then Bramblestar jumped up onto the Highledge and yowled the summoning words,

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Cats swarmed from their dens and formed a crowd in the large clearing. Flamekit, Silverkit, Cinderheart and Dovewing followed. Silverkit let out a squeal of excitement. Cinderheart silenced her with a glare.

"Today we have two kits who are going to be apprenticed. Silverkit, step forward." said Bramblestar, gesturing with his tail. The crowd parted to let the silver-grey she-cat through. Silverkit walked proudly down towards her leader and stopped when her Clanmates were behind her and only the Highledge parted the she-cat from Bramblestar.

"Silverkit, 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 Silverpaw," meowed the ThunderClan leader. Silverpaw's blue eyes sparkled. "Your mentor will be Ivypool. I hope Ivypool will pass down everything she knows to you." Bramblestar turned to the silver-and-white she-cat, who stepped forward. "Ivypool, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Cinderheart and you have shown yourself to be courageous and loyal. You will be the mentor of Silverpaw and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." Ivypool took a step towards her new apprentice and extended her nose to Silverpaw. Silverpaw also stretched her head closer to her mentor and the two she-cats touched noses. Then mentor and apprentice moved left so that Flamekit had room for his ceremony.

"Flamekit, step forward," purred Bramblestar. The fire-coloured tom walked slowly down the path that had been made by his Clanmates. Flamekit tried to make himself look as dignified as possible. And failed, of course, because he wasn't exactly comfortable under the stares of his Clanmates. Very soon he was in front of his leader.

"Flamekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is also time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Flamepaw," said Bramblestar. "Your mentor will be Cloudtail. I hope Cloudtail will pass down everything she knows to you," Cloudtail had already come forward and was ready when Bramblestar continued. "Cloudtail, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received excellent training from Firestar and have shown yourself to be independent and courageous. You will be the mentor of Flamepaw and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." The two toms also shuffled closer to each other so that they could touch noses. As Flamepaw felt his nose meet his new mentor's he got a sense that this would be fun having Cloudtail teaching him. The orange apprentice broke into a purr.

"I didn't think that I would have another apprentice before I went to join the elders," murmered Cloudtail. "But I must admit I would rather have you as my apprentice than your sister." added the white tom, who also started purring. Then the whole Clan started to congratulate the new apprentices.

"Good luck Silverpaw!"

"Congratulations Flamepaw!"

"I am so proud of you two!" Flamepaw heard his mother call. He craned his neck to see her through the sea of cats, but Flamepaw was too short to see much. Then he finally saw a flash of grey, and Cinderheart was at his side. The orange tom nuzzled into his mother's belly fur with his head. Screw anyone who said that he was too old to do that. It seemed like forever until the crowd of cats melted away and everyone settled down for the afternoon.

"Well, I guess I should go and see if my nest is still in the warrior's den." meowed Cinderheart as she leaned backwards so that her son was no longer on her chest. Flamepaw sat up straight and watched his mother pad off slowly to her den. After she had disappeared, a thought occured to Flamepaw. If Cinderheart was no longer sleeping in the nursery, then neither would he. From now on, Flamepaw would sleep in the apprentices den. Until he was a warrior, that was. I think that maybe I should be making a nest. As he thought this Flamepaw saw Silverpaw walking sideways toward him. It looked rather hilarious. Cloudtail was also walking up to him, but stopped and snorted when he saw the silver-grey she-cat.

"What in StarClan are you doing Silverpaw?" asked the fluffy white warrior. "You look like a . . . . Oh, for once I don't know what you look like. But whatever you are, you're not a cat." Silverpaw stopped and frowned at Cloudtail. This turned into a defiant stare as she started her little dance again. Cloudtail sighed and rolled his eyes. Flamepaw gave his mentor a helpless look and shrugged. He then followed his sister to the apprentice den. As Flamepaw entered the tunnel, shadows engulfed him and soon no one could see the bright-coloured tom.