It's been 4moons since the new prophecy has been told, and every cat in the nursery was in high spirits because it was the day Rockkit and his littermates were to be named apprentices. Diamondkit has grown stronger and taller and was proud that in 2 moons she will be an apprentice herself. She was also proud of her best friend, Rockkit.
Diamondkit was done with Lynxkit's lessons on speaking for the day so she was sure there was nothing getting in the way of seeing this ceremony. She has been working very hard on getting rid of his disorder and he has been getting better and better everyday.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock." called Duskstar climbing to the top. All the cats of Thunderclan was there watching intently as the kits soon-to-be-apprentices walked out of the nursery, tail high. "Rockkit, come forward." Rockkit obeyed, "Do you, Rockkit, promise to uphold the warrior code and respect the power of our ancestors?"
"I do." Rockkit replied.
"Then by the powers of Starclan, I now pronounce you Rockpaw. Your mentor shall be Whitewhisker." Whitewhisker had a shocked expression cross his face, and then it quickly changed to a delighted one. He came up and put his muzzle to Rockpaw's head to have Rockpaw lick his shoulder.
"Horsekit, come forward." Horsekit came, "Do you, Horsekit, promise to upload…" The same thing happened with Horsekit and the rest of Rockpaw's littermates.
"Rockpaw, Horsepaw, Honeypaw, Rosepaw!" The crowd cheered on and on until they got tired of cheering.
Horsepaw's mentor was Leafstorm, Honeypaw's mentor was Snowtail, and Rosepaw's mentor was Birdflight. Each cat, including Rockpaw, liked their new mentor. Diamondkit was happy for them and was shocked to find her self purring through the whole ceremony.
Rockpaw bounded up to Diamondkit, "Did you see it?"
"Of course I saw it! I would never miss for the Starclan's sake." She replied, "You didn't look nervous at all while Horsepaw was trembling like a frightened kit."
"I'm going to have to get used to calling them by their new names." Rockpaw said, "And I was terrified in the inside, I would've been trembling like him if I wasn't so good at hiding it."
"Who is she kidding? You looked exwactly the same way as Hewspaw." Lynxkit said who was right next to Diamondkit, surprising her. She yelped with shock once he spoke.
"Were you there the whole time?" she asked.
"Yup."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I did, but you were to busy dwooling over Rockpaw" Diamondkit swatted the embarrassing kit away, but he came right back, "She only said you looked good to compliment you." Diamondkit didn't know why Lynxkit kept teasing her.
"What has gotten into you?" She said exasperatedly.
"Oh, nothing, just in a very teasing mode today." He mocked.
"Don't make me pounce on you." Rockpaw said playfully. He bunched his haunches and got ready to pounce. Lynxkit squeaked with fright and ran behind Diamondkit, but she moved out of the way giving Rockpaw the opportunity.
"Hey!" Lynxkit yelled at Diamondkit, "What's gotten into you?" he replied in a mock tone.
"Maybe I have a little tease in myself." Diamondkit mocked back. Rockpaw was about to pounce, but was stopped by Whitewhisker's call.
"Rockpaw stop fooling around and come over here to start your training!" he yelled.
Rockpaw had a glint in his eye, "I'll be back" He said it half to Diamondkit half to Lynxkit. Once he was out of sight Diamondkit whirled to face Lynxkit.
"Okay, so here's what we're going to do. We're going to hide once he comes back a make an ambush on him. We'll gather Thistlekit and Redkit to help. Got it?" Lynxkit nodded excitedly, shaking with excitement that she was helping him. She walked with him into the nursery to find a dead looking Thistlekit on the ground. Diamondkit shot over to him, towering above him. She looked up to see Redkit narrowing her eyes at Diamondkit's white diamond shape on her chest. She didn't say a word though.
"They're playing a game," whispered Frostmouth, with her belly full of kits. She put her tail to her mouth to indicate to Diamondkit to be quiet. Diamondkit backed away and decided to watch.
Thistlekit started to wriggle and twist back and forth. He got up and opened his eyes. He noticed Diamondkit and turned to her.
"The one with the diamond heart shall save her clan. She shall be Thunderclan's soul and all four's destiny." Thistlekit tried to repeat the prophecy. Diamondkit's eyes widened as she remembered that night when Goosepaw was controlled by Starclan. He was fine now, and she was surprised that the kits were still on to that. Thistlekit pretended to collapse and wake back up.
"What happened?" he said picking up his head and dropping it back down. Moonshadow walked in the nursery as if on cue, and her eyes widened at the sight of her kit lying on the ground.
"What's wrong with my poor kit?" she wailed, but she didn't seem like she was acting.
Lynxkit joined in the game, and pretended to be Owlthroat, "He'll be fine. I'm surprised Starclan used him like that." Lynxkit used a funny, deep voice and said his words right. Diamondkit rolled her eyes and decided she might as well join the game.
"I had a dream like Goosepaw's, too." she said to Redkit, knowing she must be Duskstar.
"Okay let's hear it but everyone else must leave." Moonshadow finally figured out what they were doing and decided to leave them alone.
"Mother, you're supposed to be helping me up." Thistlekit whispered to her. She rolled her eyes and pushed Thistlekit to his feet. They both left the nursery leaving Lynxkit, Diamondkit, and Redkit behind.
"Okay I don't need to explain my dream, game over." Redkit looked a little disappointed. No one but Rockpaw, Duskstar, and Owlthroat knew about her dream.
"We need yours and Thistlekit's help," she explained her plan to ambush Rockpaw when he came back and told her to hide with Thistlekit in the mini bush growing beside the nursery, while Lynxkit hid nearby. Diamondkit wasn't going to hide anywhere so she can lure Rockpaw into the trap. She would give the cue 'Hey look a blackbird right behind you' and they will all spring at him at once. She told Redkit to tell Thistlekit the plan and go take their positions, and told Lynxkit to go to his hiding spot right away. She followed him out the den, but didn't pay attention on where he went to hide because she noticed Rockpaw coming through the entrance. Her paws tingled with excitement.
She bounded up to him, "Hey, Rockpaw!" called after him, "Over here." She glanced at the bush to make sure Redkit and Thistlekit were there. Redkit put her tail slightly above the bush to show Diamondkit she was still there, but right back when Rockpaw was standing right in front of her.
"So how was training?" Diamondkit asked nonchalantly.
"Great!" Rockpaw replied, kneading the ground excitedly.
"Well that's- Hey! Look a blackbird right behind you!" Diamondkit exclaimed. He turned around and Diamondkit, Redkit, and Thistlekit launched themselves at him. He hit the ground with a plump as the bodies pummeled him down.
"Oof!" he grunted out. He shook them off easily and swatted a paw at them playfully. Something was right to Diamondkit though.
"Wait!" she yelled at them, "Where's Lynxkit?" Everyone went silent, frozen with fear for the little kit.
"Help! Down here!" They all heard him call, but couldn't find out where he was. He wailed loudly, and Diamondkit noticed a patch of long grass. She padded up to it to find a hole big enough for a kit to fall through.
"Great Starclan! Don't worry Lynxkit, help is on the way!" Diamondkit called down. Then she picked up her head to Rockpaw, "Do you think you could reach a paw down there and hook a claw in his scuff?"
"I'll try but remember my legs aren't that much longer than yours" Rockpaw replied. He walked up and stuck his paw down the hole, "Do you see my paw?" he called to Lynxkit.
"Yes, but I can't even reach it with my own paw." He called back.
Rockpaw brought his paw back up and gave a worried glance to Diamondkit, "We need a cat with longer legs."
"Then let's get Longleg," answered Redkit like it was obvious.
"I'll go get him." Thistlekit shot away before Diamondkit could stop him. Longleg was an elder and she didn't know if he was too weak. Thistlekit came back a couple heartbeats later with Longleg practically walking on him because he was so fast with those long legs.
"I'm an elder and I still need to do work," he grumbled. He walked straight to where Rockpaw was and pushed him away, "Now let's see." He reached his paw down and laughed a loud laugh, "This thing isn't that long. I can touch the bottom." He let out a grunt as he picked up Lynxkit under the belly instead of hooking a claw on to his scruff. "There no little kit. You're all right."
"Thank you, Longleg" Diamondkit murmured her thanks to him.
"Never handle a kit by the scruff to much or it will start getting sore to were it will just become a flab of flesh on their necks when they get older." He mumbled. He always tended to talk to himself a lot. He mumbled something else that Diamondkit didn't catch as he walked away in long strides.
Diamondkit let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her brother again, "Always watch were you put your paws…We should tell Duskstar about that hole so it's not a danger to us or Frostmouth's kits when they're born." Rockpaw nodded his agreement and they both started padding towards the leaders den.
"Can we come?" Lynxkit, Redkit, and Thistlekit said in unison.
"No. We don't want to overcrowd Duskstar. He's in tough times right now." answered Rockpaw. They all whined at him in protest, but he just ignored them and kept walking with Diamondkit.
"You know they're going to spy, right?" Diamondkit whispered to Rockpaw.
"Yeah, I know. At least Duskstar might not know they're there." The both of them laughed together. Diamondkit heard the patter of paw steps behind her.
"If you're going to spy, then do it right." She called over her shoulder. She heard a couple of gasps and Rockpaw laughing.
They had made it to Duskstar's den, but stopped to hear whispering inside.
"…clever. I heard and saw the whole plan. She has to be a part"-
Diamondkit heard one of the kits wail as they tripped over a rock, and winced.
"Um, Duskstar?" called Diamondkit.
"Yes?" he answered.
"May we come in?"
"Yes." The two cats walked in while Mossthorn walked out, nodding his head in greeting.
"We just came in to tell you that there's a hole that Lynxkit just fell in and we were wondering if you could get some warriors to cover it up."
"I'll get right to it. Is Lynxkit alright?"
"Yes he is." Rockpaw answered for Diamondkit.
"Well, go grab Graypelt, Flametooth, and Eagleblaze and tell them to go cover up the hole for me please."
"Okay." Rockpaw and Diamondkit said in unison and they both walked back out together. Once they walked out they ran straight into the three kits. Thistlekit was wailing so loudly it hurt Diamondkit's ears.
"What's wrong?" she yelled over his wails.
"He twisted his paw." Redkit yelled back.
"Then why didn't you bring him to the medicine den?"
"Because he's refusing to get up."
"Well, where's Lynxkit?"
"I sent him to get Owlthroat or Goosepaw."
"Okay I'll be right back I have to get some cats to fill in that hole."
"I'll do it, just quiet him down before Starclan's ears hurt," yelled Rockpaw at Diamondkit.
"Okay." She replied, and then turned to Thistlekit, "Thistlekit!" She yowled louder then his wail. He stopped wailing with round eyes filled with tears, "Get up, now!" she ordered him. He did, keeping his right forepaw up, "Now just lean on me and Redkit. We'll guide you to the medicine den."
Diamondkit's pelt prickled. She had the feeling she was being watched. She looked over her shoulder to see Mossthorn's green gaze rest on her back.
"I can just pick up by the scruff." It was her father, Graypelt
"Oh, no, Duskstar tol-"
"I know. I'll just carry him to the medicine den and go help Flametooth and Eagleblaze after that."
"O-okay" Diamondkit stuttered. Graypelt picked up Thistlekit by his scruff and brought him to the medicine den faster then Diamondkit and Redkit could do together.
The two sisters ran after him together just to be pushed back so Owlthroat could study in peace. Lynxkit was pushed out with them and they all rolled in a ball as they stumbled back.
"Well that was rude." Rockpaw said as he walked up to them. He was about to say something else but he was interrupted by their leader.
"Al cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock."
Duskstar called, "I've called you all here once again today to make a very important announcement. I want to make another apprentice." So many gasps were heard in the crowd, "She has shown so many hints that she is clever enough to already become an apprentice. She may be a little young but she seems so much older by the way she acts… Diamondkit, please step forward." Diamondkit let a gasps escape her mouth. She stepped up wobbly. She looked back at her littermates, their eyes full of envy and sadness that they won't become an apprentice with her.
Before Duskstar could start the ceremony, Diamondkit spoke, "I don't want- I don't want to be- be an app- apprentice."