Sorrowpaw's POV-

If you ask me, Moonlight was doing, very well. She was getting to know Griefpaw, and soon I envied them because of their closeness; best friends. Moonlight was very easy to talk to, and her soft melodic voice had a soothing aura to it.

Griefpaw walked into the hidden den, and I could tell something was wrong, immediately. I sighed and walked over to her, asking, "Griefpaw, what's wrong?"

She sighed and said, "I keep dreaming about them. Sorrowpaw… I'm scared." Her lip was quivering and I stroked her pelt with my tail comfortingly.

I said in a quiet tone, "Griefpaw, I think it may be time to discover what the prophecy meant. I think I was wrong about waiting. If you keep on having dreams, is clear you should be doing something."

Griefpaw nodded and said, "Can Moonlight come, too?"

I gestured the bronze she-cat over and said, "Come, we will go to another den, I think I saw Redface in here once, so it's not safe."

Moonlight nodded distractedly and walked over to comfort Griefpaw. I realized with a twinge of regret; she was healing, and soon, she would go to Windclan. But Griefpaw and Moonlight were such good friends; I didn't want to announce that she was fine.

I could see something else behind Griefpaw's eyes; guilt. And I knew why, Maskpaw and Griefpaw had been quarreling a lot lately, and I hadn't seen any of my brother for at least a week. He had used to visit me, but no longer.

Moonlight gestured to me and said, "Sorrowpaw? She said that there's something she didn't tell you."

I walked slowly over, wondering what it could be. Griefpaw looked exceedingly guilty, and I wondered what it could be about.

She whispered, "Can I talk to you in private, Sorrowpaw?"

I nodded, even more curious than ever; she would share anything with Moonlight, why the sudden secrecy?

Moonlight looked slightly offended, but I knew she would understand. Griefpaw walked slowly to my side and said quietly, "Meet me, right outside of the medicine den tonight after dusk and before midnight, I have to show you something."

Moonlight said loudly, "Are we going to figure out this prophecy or not?"

Griefpaw nodded dumbly and said, "I've already figured out part of it, I think. Maybe, when Fernfur said 'discover your lineage' it meant that I have to follow them in the dreams and find out about them."

I nodded slightly and said, "What do you mean?"

She sighed, and muttered, "The past few dreams I have been following Fernfur and tracking her back to the clans. Maybe she wanted me to do that with Streamheart. Maybe I'm supposed to follow him back to Riverclan and discover more about him!"

I nodded, it made sense.

Griefpaw sighed, and I noticed a change in her appearance. Her eyes that usually sparkled with mischievous delight were now dull and I said quietly, "You and Maskpaw have quarreled again, haven't you?"

She nodded again and said, "Maybe this isn't going to work between me and Copperpaw. I don't want to lose my relationship with Maskpaw for a different kind of relationship. I mean…" she paused and said quietly, "I love Copperpaw, and I love Maskpaw. The problem is, Maskpaw doesn't like me loving Copperpaw, because he says that Copperpaw isn't good for me."

I sighed, just like Maskpaw to ruin everything, "You know, it's not his choice. Maskpaw knows you love him, but he's just jealous, because you spend time with Copperpaw, and me, because he doesn't know about Moonlight."

I saw Moonlight's eyes widen when I mentioned her name. Griefpaw nodded and said, "I just feel guilty. Maskpaw keeps on telling me that I'm betraying him somehow, but I'm not."

Moonlight nodded distractedly and said, "Let's finish figuring out the prophecy."

I could tell something was wrong, very wrong, with Moonlight. She was herself, but whenever I mentioned Maskpaw's name, she flinched.

I shrugged and thought hard about the prophecy, saying, "Maybe when Fernfur said 'the storm' she meant Thunderclan. Because you know, Thunder is a storm… so, yeah," I finished lamely. I was now undeniably aware of a tension between Moonlight and Griefpaw, what was going on?

Griefpaw broke off from her harsh eyes contact with Maskpaw and said, "Yeah, sure. Maybe when she said 'Mourn the dead, cleanse the living," she meant for us to do exactly what you did Sorrowpaw. Cleanse the cats of prejudism of us; after all… we didn't do anything. It was our parents."

I nodded, and looked at Moonlight, she wasn't looking at me or Griefpaw; she was looking at the training hollow. Through the trees of the hidden niche, I saw Maskpaw, stalking a squirrel. He pounced with elegant grace and caught it with a fierce swipe of his paw.

I heard Moonlight sigh shallowly and I cast a quick look at Griefpaw, who was in the process of rolling her grey eyes. Moonlight caught the gesture and leapt fiendishly at her friend, bowling Griefpaw into a shrub.

With a yowl of rage, I separated the clawing pair and bellowed, "What the

mouse-dung is going on here?"

Moonlight glared at me, then Griefpaw, and clawed her way up a tree. Griefpaw glanced at me, and then said, "Ask Moonlight," before stalking away to the training hollow.

Through the dense underbrush I saw my sister greet Copperpaw happily and twine her tail momentarily with the handsome apprentice, who proceeded to rub up against Griefpaw happily.

The walked towards Eaglestripe who was talking animatedly with Seastone and he sent them hunting.

A few days ago, Griefpaw had told me eagerly that Tawnystar had assessed the two and said that they would become warriors soon. Griefpaw had asked me excitedly, "What do you think my name will be, Sorrowpaw?" I had replied "Griefdung" and earned myself a playful whack over the ears. I wish Griefpaw could be like that all the time, but she wasn't. Not when Maskpaw interfered.

Deciding it was best to leave Moonlight alone, I returned to the medicine den with a mouthful of yarrow Moonlight had collected, so that I could explain to Mapleleaf where I had been.

Mapleleaf yawned a hello and said, "Ah, yarrow leaves, just what I needed. Thank you Sorrowpaw, we were running low."

I nodded in return and asked in a low voice, "Why's Finkit in here, I thought he was better?"

Mapleleaf nodded and said, "He was just wanting to see you, as a matter of fact, Sorrowpaw—"

I walked away, but Mapleleaf caught my shoulder with her tail and whispered, "I think its about time I didn't have to call you Sorrowpaw. I'll ask Tawnystar for a warriors' ceremony for you, you've earned it."

I beamed, and whispered, "Thank you!" I was uncontrollably excited, how had Griefpaw reacted when Tawnystar had told her, had she felt like this?

Finkit looked at me with his angelic blue eyes and said, "Guess what, Sorrowpaw, guess what?"

I smiled knowingly but said animatedly, "What Finkit, what?"

"I'm going to be an apprentice, Sorrowpaw, an apprentice!" he yelled excitedly, and I licked the top of his head and said, "That's great Finkit. Who do you want to be your mentor?"

Finkit and I had become friends, of a sort. He always rushed to me with news he had, and I always congratulated him.

He replied, "I wanted you to be my mentor, but you're a medicine cat and an apprentice, and I wanna be a WARRIOR!" He growled playfully and leapt at a nearby leaf and tackled it to the ground, growling all the time. He continued his sentence, mumbling, "So now, I want Pinewing to be my mentor."

I smiled and said, "She'll be perfect." Pinewing was a beautiful young tortoiseshell she-cat that was by far the kindest cat in Thunderclan, and she was a particularly talented warrior.

Finkit smiled adorably and strolled away, leaving me to think alone. Suddenly my mind was filled with questions. I am good enough to be a warrior, but am I ready? Will the clan accept me when Mapleleaf is gone? Will I be a satisfactory medicine cat?

Griefpaw and Copperpaw were heading back from training, laughing and bumping against each other as they laughed hysterically. I saw Maskpaw glaring out at them from the bushes, and I realized how much I loathed my brother at the moment. Maskpaw could be so selfish!

How was it his choice what Griefpaw did? And how did he have the right to ruin her life and shame her with injustice? I sighed, why couldn't I be part of a family with fewer problems, even I have problems.

I have a secret

Griefpaw has a secret

Maskpaw has a secret

And both of our parents were dead.

I really don't think Starclan is fair all of the time. Why couldn't I belong to a normal family like Joypaw, or Copperpaw?

I saw the horizon grow pink as the sun set, and I heard Tawnystar yowl that there was going to be a Gathering in two days and who would be going. There had been five Gatherings since my medicine cat apprenticeship started, and I hadn't been permitted to go to any of them.

Tawnystar's voice echoed across the clearing, "The cats coming will be; Me, Eaglestripe, Seastone, Redface, Pinewing, Mapleleaf, Sorrowpaw, Griefpaw, Copperpaw, and one of the new apprentices."

She then yowled, "Now all cats joined beneath High-rock for an apprentice ceremony." I saw Finkit trot eagerly into the Moonlight with his sister Smallkit.

The cats all gathered in the center of the clearing and Tawnystar yowled, "Finkit and Smallkit, up here please."

"Do you, Finkit, agree to put all of your effort into becoming a warrior of Thunderclan and serving your clan?"

Finkit nodded eagerly, his long creamy fur quivering with excitement. Tawnystar looked at him with amusement and said, "Then you will now be known as Finpaw, and your mentor will be… Pinewing."

Pinewing stepped forward, and I saw Redface look up in interest, his evil eyes prying into the she-cats good looks. The beautiful tortoiseshell cat smiled kindly at Finpaw and reminded him quietly, "This is where we touch noses."

Finpaw gave a little, "Oh!" of remembrance and bumped noses with his new mentor. Just seeing the adoring look in Pinewing's eyes, I new that Finpaw would never need me again for help, he had found the right mentor.

Tawnystar carried through the same ritual with Smallkit/Smallpaw, whose mentor was Redface; I pitied the Smallpaw (A/N: a light brown tabby she-kit.)

Tawnystar stepped down from High-rock and walked slowly to her den. I stepped forwards and heard Redface purr seductively into Pinewing's ear, "What do you say to hunting, Pinewing? Just you and me."

Any cat could recognize this as lust. Pinewing stepped backwards and said harshly in disgust, "Eww, NO!"

I saw Finpaw roll over laughing, and Redface clawed him harshly over the ear, spitting, "You just wait, furball!"

I giggled despite myself and then returned my thoughts to the Gathering, and faced a new obstacle, Maskpaw wasn't chose to come. I saw Greenpaw and Joypaw laughing about something under the trees, and trotted over to join them.

Greenpaw purred at me when he saw me, and Joypaw chirped, "Hi Sorrowpaw, you're so lucky, you get to go to the gathering!"

I nodded and said, "Yeah, but you got to go to the last one."

I purred and walked away, watching Mapleleaf walk over to Tawnystar with interest. Tawnystar said, "Oh, mousedung, I forgot!"

She leapt agilely atop Highrock and shouted, "Sorry, cats of Thunderclan; join under Highrock for another clan meeting."

There was an audible groan from the cats, and I strolled over, having a feeling I knew what was happening. Tawnystar chuckled and said, "First of all, I forgot to mention the other apprentice going to the Gathering; Finpaw!"

Finpaw squealed happily, and Smallpaw glanced enviously at her brother. How would Maskpaw feel, outdone by a day-old apprentice. For Starclan's sake… me and the other apprentices have been apprentices for… five moons.

Tawnystar yowled, "Also, I would like to honor some more cats moving up to new ranks. Sorrowpaw, Griefpaw, Copperpaw and Greenpaw, gather here."

I stepped up, dreading the moment Maskpaw would realize what was happening. They were becoming warriors, and Maskpaw wasn't!

Tawnystar went through the rituals, and I went through them in a seeming trance, poor Maskpaw! The former loathing vanished, and I felt a wave of pity for Maskpaw. All of his friends besides Joypaw were becoming warriors, and he wasn't!

Griefpaw shall now be known as Grieffeather

Copperpaw shall now be known as Copperblaze.

Greenpaw shall now be know as Greenclaw.

And, Sorrowpaw shall be known as… Sorrowstream.

I laughed with delight… Sorrowstream… it was an awesome name. I saw Grieffeather and Copperblaze laughing and celebrating, and Greenclaw raced over and licked my ear. Sorrowstream.

Maskpaw turned and left the clearing. Suddenly the pity vanished and accusatoryness (A/N: not a word, oh well.) vanished. Why did he have to take things the wrong way? Why couldn't he just congratulate us and be done with it?

Grieffeather and Copperblaze twined around each other, laughing, and Greenclaw and Joypaw were laughing. I decided finally; Maskpaw should be like Joypaw. Joypaw didn't become a warrior, but she was still happy for us. But Maskpaw… wasn't.

Mapleleaf came up and brushed her tail alon my spine, purring, "Good job, Sorrowstream, you earned it."

I felt suddenly happy. I didn't think anyone could understand me as well as Mapleleaf could. It was like she was inside my head and heart.

Grieffeather murmured to me as she walked past to sit her vigil, "Set back the plan… meet me tomorrow night outside the medicine den… there's something you need to see." Copperblaze and my sister walked to sit vigil, and I joined Greenclaw at the middle of the clearing, where he was laying down for his vigil.

He purred in acknowledgement of him, and I was so glad to have so many good friends; Mapleleaf, Greenclaw, Joypaw and Moonlight. I purred and lay down, preparing for a really long night.

WOOT WOOT! That was a long chapter… for me anyway. OK, so, here are the credits, even though they are kind of short for the names

Greenclaw (the name) was thought of by… Aviation or… (the name) was devised by… Aviation or…

(the name) was devised by… rainstorm007 or…

(the name) was thought of by… ME! (Go me!) mysterys or….

I don't really feel like copying, so if u really need to… just go to the top of the page and click on the word "mysterys" … its not that hard, and if you really need directions to the top of the page… find them somewhere else.

Thank you reviews, and KEEP REVIEWING! I need at least 56 reviews for me to update, so start telling people about it, because I WILL NOT update until I get those reviews, (c'mon, its only 7 reviews, even though I would like more!) :D

mysterys