Chapter 3

A/N: Once again, a late update. Sorry about that! I planned to update this every one to two weeks, but now its been more like three. I had spring break, and it's only one week long, and I spent that week in Oregon, so I couldn't update. And I was lazy.

At least I got another review! At this rate I'll get one review for each chapter, and that's not exactly good. So feel free to review, I would greatly appreciate it.

Also, I tweaked the allegiances again. It turns out I forgot to add Sorreltail into it. Sorry if I made think that she was dead!

Nightkit's POV:

Things were better now since I had finally stood up to Sycamorekit. He still taunted me, of course, but only when he was in eyesight and earshot of his mother, Shrewfoot, and my own mother wasn't around to hear his cruel words. Shrewfoot seemed to encouage his truculent behavior, and I soon grew to have a burning hatred for the gray she-cat. It just wasn't right, letting your kit bully its own denmate and scold the poor victim when they finally cracked and retaliated. Applefur had scolded me as well when Shrewfoot had told her what I had done to Sycamorekit, but praised me later when his mother couldn't hear. She was proud that I had stuck up for myself and that I showed large potential in combat. Shadekit had admired my courage to act so defiantly, when I was still untrusted for being of non-ShadowClan blood. Sycamorekit had bullied my brother as well, calling him 'kittypet lover', just because he cared for me, because I was his sister. Although he picked on Shadekit less frequently and less harshly, Shadekit had struck out just as I did, except for with words, and was left alone.

I had finally been given a moon a peace, a moon where Sycamorekit's taunts and insults could no longer reach my ears. Partially because his bullying happened a lot less, Shadekit had made sure of that, and because I had started to build an emotional barrier around myself to protect me from his cruel words.

But every happy moment comes to an end, and for me, it came far too soon.

I yawned and stretched in the nest I shared with my mother and brother, careful not to disturb their peaceful slumber. Despite the moss only being shared by one full-grown cat and two half-grown ones, it was quite a tight sqeeze. But I enjoyed it, the softness of their pelts against mine and coziness comforting me in a way that I didn't allow to show. I had learned to barely show any emotion, except for around Shadekit and Applefur, because Sycamorekit would see that as a weakness. I padded drowsily to the nursery enterance, my long, sleek tail low to the ground. The serene quietness of the world at the moment had lulled me, making me forget to see if Sycamorekit was already awake. But it didn't really matter once I stepped out from the shelter of the bramble den, for his sneering voice had already reached my large ears.

"You see? She even has the laziness of kittypet!" Sycamorekit yelled, directing his voice both at me and the two only apprentices in the clan. Sparrowpaw was shaking his head in diapproval, while Mistpaw glanced at me, obvious sympathy in her pale blue eyes. I just rolled my eyes, pushing past Sycamorekit to sit by the spiky-furred she-cat and her brother.

"Sycamorekit really needs to be taught a lesson. At first I thought he was just messing around with you when he insulted you, but now I realize it's far more that that." Sparrowpaw murmered, dipping his head to me.

"He's just a bully. A stupid, immature bully who has absolutely no right to be ruining your life like this" Mistpaw, along with Shadekit, was the only one who really knew how much those insults hurt me. Every one was like a paw scoring its claws down my heart.

"I can only hope that after he's been an apprentice for a while, he'll finally grow up and realize what he's doing." I said, staring at my paws.

"I hope he gets Scorchfur as mentor, that'll straighten him out." Sparrowpaw mewed, chuckling was one of the strictest warriors in the clan, and while he was loyal and a great fighter, he had little to no tolerance for immature kits.

"Let all the skilled cats of ShadowClan gather beneath the Great Tree to hear my words." Rowanstar's voice rang out across the clearing, stopping the young cats' conversation.

"I wonder what this is about." I mumbled under my breath, staring at the ginger tom that stood on one the branches that hung over the camp as the clan gathered. A few moments of silence hung in the air as the cats waited for their leader to speak.

"Sycamorekit, please step forward." My eyes widened in shock, and a bit of anger, as I realized what was happening. The dusky brown tabby stepped forward proudly, chest puffed out and fur neatly groomed into a shiny sleekness. His amber eyes shone with excitement and joy, and just underneath that I could detect arrogance.

"Sycamorekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for your apprenticeship. From this on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Sycamorepaw. I have chosen Scorchfur to mentor you, as he is ready to take on an apprentice. I hope that he will pass down all he knows onto you." The look on Sycamorepaw's face as his mentor was named was almost worth all the taunting and teasing. Finally, he would learn to grow up, and some respect for his clanmates as well.

"Sycamorepaw! Sycamorepaw!" The clan cheered the new apprentice's name. I noticed that Sparrowpaw and Mistpaw's voices were weak, as if they were only cheering because they had to. I didn't care, however, what the clan would think of me. So I remained silent, glaring daggers at the tom himself. He seemed to raise his chin a little higher as he saw this, his lips twitching up in a crooked smile that was more like a sneer, challenge alighting in his cold fiery gaze. I remained still, knowing that I didn't need to prove myself to him, for he was less than dirt beneath my paws. And that's exactly what I thought as I un-sheathed my claws and scored a deep mark in the ground, imagining that the hard-packed earth was Sycamorepaw's own pelt.

Stonekit's POV:

"You see, Stonefur was a noble a loyal warrior, not only loyal to RiverClan, but to his clanmates as well." I recalled Mosspelt's words as I sat with Splashkit, watching Tidekit and Lakekit play-fight. They tumbled and rolled across the clearing, soft paws battering and tiny claws grazing fur.

"Watch out!" Willowshine yelled at the kits, who had to gotten a little too close tto the pile of fragrant herbs she was stopped fighting and mumbled a 'sorry' to the Medicine Cat, Lakekit tackling her just as the words left her mouth. The pale gray tom drove her back with flailing paws, while she squeaked with protest, inching backwards while she ducked and dodged. Lakekit had pushed her back pretty far before she finally spotted an opening and reared up on her striped back legs, batting at his ears with tiny, delicate silvery paws. Although Tidekit had managed to gian some ground forward, she was still no match for brother, who was much larger and stronger. He let out a playful growl and rammed forawrd, pushing her backwards with his already broad shoulders. Tidekit squeaked in surprise as she slipped on the slippery pebbles on the bank of stream, tumbling backwards into the water. I leapt onto my paws and started to race towards the water, but was interupted by my sister.

"I'm fine!" Tidekit stood up and shook her wet fur, shivering from the cold water. I let out a sigh of relief, but the comfort that she was safe was short-lived when I saw a piece of driftwood floating in the current towards her. It was too late to warn her, for the second I opened my mouth, the smooth wood knocked into her, sending the small silver tabby under the water. Tidekit resurfaced a couple tail-lengths downstream, the water seemed much deeper there and it lapped at her muzzle. She seemed winded, perhaps she had his her head when she went under, and soon lost her footing against the strong current. Her forepaws shot out and wrapped around a tall, thin rock that poked out of the stream just in time to not be swept away into the lake.

"Tidekit! Hold on!" I ran over to the bank as fast as I could, stretching my neck over the fast-flowing water in an attempt to grab my sister's scruff. I couldn't reach her, and had to take a few steps into the water before trying again. It still wasn't enough, and even with my entire body stretched forward till my muscles ached and shrieked with pain, she was still a mouse-length away.

"Bite my tail, and whatever you do, don't let go." I instructed Lakekit, waving my fluffy tail in front of him. The pale gray tom closed his teeth down hard on the tip, sending a wave of pain through my entire body. I ignored it though, and continued to step out farther into the current, with Lakekit following until I could reach the sodden scrap of beautiful tabby-striped silver fur that still clung desperately to the rock. I could tell she was getting tired, the effect of hitting her head weighing down on her, and as I fastened my teeth in her scruff her tiny paws lost their grip on the stone. Tidekit's body was like a deadweight, and the effort that it took to keep my grip on the pebbley bottom of the stream was worsened. I could feel Lakekit starting slip as well, his teeth starting to loosen before biting back again even harder than before. Excruciating pain washed over me like a dark wave as I slipped on the smooth pebbles, the only thing that kept me and my unconcious sister from being swept downstream was Lakekit's tight hold on my tail, that was until I faintly heard the sound of ripping flesh over the feeling of water filling my ears. I barely had time to register my iminent death before my head hit a large stone on the bottom of the stream, the movement of the cold water lulling me in my last few moments as my vision started to go black.

I woke up a grassy clearing, with lush, green trees that were widely spaced. Water burbled out of a large rock, forming a wide, shallow, slow-moving stream with such clear water that I could easily see minnows swimming around in it even from across the clearing. The stream curved around the grassy space halfway before disppearing into the green ferns and bushes. I must be in StarClan, I thought, feeling a pang of sadness and longing in my heart as I remembered my family and Clan.

No real place could be so ambroisal and perfect.

"Hello?" I called out tentatively, my voice raw as if I hadn't used it in a long time.

"Greetings, Stonekit." A deep voice spoke from across the clearing and I turned to see a handsome, broad-shouldered gray tom pad out from behind a rich green bush dotted with dark azure berries. He walked slowly towards me, muscles rippling under his fluffy stone-colored pelt. The strange tom sat down a few tail-lengths in front of me, wisdom shining bright in his blue eyes.

"Who are you? Why am I here? Am I dead?" I bombarded him with questions, a bit worried that I had died and would never see my brother, sisters, or mother again, never earn my warrior name, never get to fight in my first battle. Never get to prove my loyalty to RiverClan. The gray tom purred in amusement, a small chuckle rising in his chest.

"Such a curious kit. You're acting just like you did when you first arrived in RiverClan." He laughed again before continuing.

"My name is Stonefur. And do not fret, you are not dead, but you got close enough." My eyes widened and I couldn't help but stare at Stonefur, my fur pricking up in excitement.

"You're Stonefur!" I said it as more of a statement than a question, scampering over to the muscular gray warrior that I had admired ever since Mosspelt first told me about him. Stonefur's broad head tilted down towards me, a wide smile across his lips.

"Well, it's nice to see that you're excited about meeting me, but I must go now, and you must return back to your Clanmates." Stonefur rested his chin on my forehead before padding backwards away from me. I remembered that my second question hadn't been answered and quickly bounded forward.

"Wait! Why am I here if I'm not dead!?" But it was too late, the noble gray warrior, along with my surroundings, was starting to fade away until I couldn't see anything but darkness.

When I opened my eyes again I was in the Medicine Cat den, the overhanging thorn bush giving away the location. My vision was blurry, but I still reconized the lovely blue-striped silver fur curled up, asleep, in a nest close to mine. Good. Tidekit's safe and alive. I let out a sigh of relief that I didn't realize was bottled up inside my chest. The next thing I saw was a black warrior that I guessed to be Reedwhisker along with a few other warriors being treated by Mothwing and Willowshine.

"Tidekit!" I whispered, wondering if she was awake and flicking my tail in her direction. This small movement caused a horrible burning agony to register in my tail and I let out a small scream of pain. Apparently that caught the attention of Willowshine, as she had darted over to my side quickly.

"Oh, you poor little scrap." The dark gray tabby she-cat murmered sympathetically, gently pressing her slender muzzle to my cheek, a carress so soft that it seemed to lessen the hurt in my tail.

"What happened to my tail?" I mumbled drowsily as Willowshine gave me a small poppy seed and I lapped it up gratefully.

"Well, you see, when you slipped and Lakeit was biting your tail, the weight of you and Tidekit and teh force of the current caused the tip of your tail to rip off."

A/N: Ha! I bet you thought Stonekit had died! But don't worry, I'm not going to allow a major character to die only four chapters into the story, now am I?

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