So sorry for such a long wait...So busy with school and all...Anyway.

Just wanted to get a chapter in before Christmas break, hope you like it!

I tried to make it longer than usual, to make up for my disappearing off the face of the earth...

Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Warriors

Chapter 5

ThunderClan

Moonpaw yawned, shaking scraps of moss out of her fur. She stretched, her back arching in a smooth black line and her paws splaying out before her. She righted herself, then padded out of the apprentices' den to start her day.

The camp was stirring, the dawn patrol already gone and Greenmoss organizing two hunting patrols. Even in the morning, the sunlight was harsh, and Moonpaw knew it was only a matter of time before she, and many other cats, would be itching from the heat.

"Moonpaw!" Moonpaw turned around and saw Gorsepaw trotting up to her; Moonpaw held in an amused purr as Gorsepaw dipped her head to the older apprentice.

"Do you think you could help me with the elders? It seems as if their ticks are already buzzing." Gorsepaw wrinkled her nose.

Moonpaw twitched her whiskers. "Sure. I need something to do." Moonpaw followed Gorsepaw towards the elders' den, where Coaltail was yowling about too many ticks in his pelt.

"Oh please, Coaltail," Brindlefire rasped, playfully swiping him over the ears; he flinched, then grunted in annoyance. "Don't exaggerate; you're going to scare these poor apprentices with your mindless stories." Moonpaw chuckled. Gorsepaw looked down at her paws.

As Moonpaw set to work on Fluffyears, Coaltail continued to complain. He kept shifting whenever Gorsepaw pricked him slightly, and was constantly moaning about his ticks and fleas.

At Gorsepaw's worried face, Brindlefire laughed. "Don't worry about this old grump; he never thinks anything is perfect."

"Not so!" Coaltail grumbled. Moonpaw located a tick in Fluffyears's fur and bit down on it hard, crunching it in her teeth.

Fluffyears spoke then. "Really? Then how come you always pick out every single bone in your prey before you eat it? And how come you never talk about anything but how perfect your life was before in TwolegPlace?"

Moonpaw's ears pricked. She hardly ever heard the elders talk about Coaltail's heritage.

Gorsepaw must have looked surprised, because Fluffyears continued. "Besides, if it was so great, you wouldn't be here now, would you?"

Coaltail snorted. "Bah, it wasn't so grand, being a kittypet and all. No fresh prey." He scratched the back of his ear with his hind leg nonchalantly. "No action, too. I never had any fun until I became an alley cat."

Gorsepaw blinked, as if remembering an unpleasant thought. Moonpaw wondered what living in TwolegPlace was like, kittypet or otherwise.

Once Gorsepaw and Moonpaw had finished, they padded out to fetch more moss for the nursery. As Moonpaw headed out into the forest, she immediately became uneasy; she jumped at every rustle of leaves, and nearly yowled when a leaf fell on her back.

"What's the matter, Moonpaw?" Gorsepaw asked as Moonpaw swiped away the leaf hastily.

Moonpaw shook her head. "It's nothing." she grumbled. They continued in silence.

The truth was, Moonpaw couldn't help remembering the frightening encounter she had had with the shadowy cats; her ankle still ached, reminding her of it. She shivered, even if it was already smoldering hot in the forest.

Gorsepaw pointed out a patch of moss to collect, and the two started picking some and putting it into neat piles; Moonpaw still had the uncanny feeling of being watched, and kept glancing over her shoulder into the bushes behind her.

After a few minutes of silence, Gorsepaw sighed. Moonpaw looked at her friend, cocking her head to the side in a question.

"He was wrong, you know." Gorsepaw mewed quietly.

"Who was?" Moonpaw replied, puzzled.

"Coaltail. The streets aren't paradise." Gorsepaw sighed bitterly. Moonpaw blinked, waiting for Gorsepaw to continue.

Gorsepaw looked at her friend with a frightened expression. "When Icekit and I were just kits, we didn't know how to survive in the streets; we were constantly being pushed around and attacked by other alley cats, and we didn't know who to trust anymore. Then, Silva and his group came along.

"At first, I was doubtful about them, but Icekit looked at him as if he was her idol; I couldn't just leave her, so I agreed to travel with them. They kept us safe and, in return, we told them we would stay permanently. One day, while Icekit and I were looking through the trash, she spotted Silva with another cat; when she called to him, he only shook his head and hissed at her to go away. When she persisted, he slashed her across the eye and pushed me aside; I was left to see Icekit beaten by the other cat and Silva, paralyzed...it was only a moment before...they pushed her into the Thunderpath and..." Gorsepaw closed her eyes, holding back a sob. She was shaking fiercely, and Moonpaw pressed her pelt against hers in comfort.

Once Gorsepaw had regained her composure, she continued shakily, "That was when I decided to leave Silva. He had killed my sister, and I just couldn't let that go. When I announced that I would leave, he threatened to track me down and kill me personally if he ever found me again." Gorsepaw gulped. "...I left the next morning."

They were silent a moment, and Moonpaw curled her tail around her paws with shock. She had had no idea that Gorsepaw had gone through so much; even more than some of the warriors. She struggled to think of something to say that would reassure her friend.

When Moonpaw opened her mouth to speak, she saw that Gorsepaw's expression was blank. Moonpaw closed her mouth again.

"Come on. Let's bring this back to camp." Gorsepaw grabbed her moss pile in her jaws and trotted back the way they had come, Moonpaw following slowly.

Moonpaw followed Scatteredpaw to the training clearing near sun high, shielding her eyes with her tail and squinting at the trail ahead. The sun glared off of every leaf, and Moonpaw could see heat emanating from the very ground they walked on.

"Ugh. Why do we have to train today? can't we just go back to camp?" Scatteredpaw complained, flicking her tail back and forth in irritation.

Her mentor, Storktalon, snorted. "We'll decide when and where you'll train, Scatteredpaw. Don't you want to become a warrior? You don't just learn overnight."

"Okay, okay! Jeez.." Scatteredpaw exclaimed, slitting her eyes. Moonpaw smiled smugly; Scatteredpaw deserved to be let down like that for all the betrayal she created...

Moonpaw stopped, her eyes wide. Where had that thought come from...?She was sure it wasn't her own...

She shook her head and continued.

The training clearing was empty, the heat hanging like a haze in the air. The sand was hot under paw, and Moonpaw was suddenly having her own doubts about training. She was just about to voice it to Mossshadow when her mentor suddenly shoved her into the clearing.

"Us first." she growled; Moonpaw kept her mouth shut.

"Moonpaw, attack me." Mossshadow sat down and curled her tail around her paws, waiting. Moonpaw slit her eyes, concentrating. She ran at Mossshadow, feinting left and swiping with sheathed paws to her right; Mossshadow was too quick, however, and Moonpaw soon felt her knees buckling under her and she fell into the hot sand with a thump.

"Oof." Moonpaw grunted, standing up quickly; the sand burned under her paws. "How did you do that?" she asked.

Mossshadow gave a sly grin. "You can try. It's called giving your opponent 'the slip'; come." She beckoned Scatteredpaw over with her tail.

Once both she-cats were seated, Mossshadow continued. "First, you observe your opponent, pinpointing their weak spot. Then, once they run at you, you take your eyes off of them and look instead to their feet-"

"But wait!" Scatteredpaw interrupted; Moonpaw held in a sigh of exasperation. "Wouldn't you get knocked down if you looked away while they attacked?"

Mossshadow looked at her patiently. "That's the trick. Once you see their about to swipe, you take their legs out from under them and swivel around, like so..." She beckoned to Storktalon, and he nodded. They took their places, and as Storktalon charged, Moonpaw saw Mossshadow seemingly look down at her paws; then, as Storktalon was about to swipe, Mossshadow hooked her paws underneath his hind legs and flipped him all the way around until he landed with a thump on his back just as Moonpaw had.

"Brilliant." Moonpaw breathed, her eyes shining; she knew she would like this move.

Mossshadow grinned. "Now, you two. Moonpaw, take my position." Moonpaw did as directed, taking a seat with her tail around her paws. Scatteredpaw crouched at the other end of the clearing, eyes blazing.

Suddenly, Scatteredpaw charged, and Moonpaw hastily looked down; too late, because Scatteredpaw had already bowled her over and pinned her to the ground.

"Fox dung!" Moonpaw spat angrily, shaking hot sand out of her pelt; Scatteredpaw seemed smug for showing her rival apprentice up, waving her tail in the air and sneering at Moonpaw.

"Beginner's luck," Moonpaw growled, feeling cold hatred forming in her heart for the gray apprentice. As Moonpaw came to her paws, she felt a strange sensation enter her body; she suddenly became cool, as if a chill breeze was stirring her fur.

Moonpaw...

Moonpaw's ears swiveled, pricked for sound. Where had that come from? Storktalon and Mossshadow were over congratulating Scatteredpaw, not paying attention to her at all.

The cool sensation continued, and Moonpaw heard a slight ping echo in her head. Moonpaw...take her down..

"What?" Moonpaw mewed aloud. she felt a strange chill run down her spine, and suddenly she was no longer hot and tired; the sand beneath her paws wasn't even burning anymore.

Moonpaw looked to Scatteredpaw, feeling a bubble of rage well up inside of her. She really did loathe Scatteredpaw; she could get back at her for all of those times she had made fun of her...

Suddenly, it all seemed very easy to Moonpaw. She padded over to Scatteredpaw, sitting down once more.

"Let's try again." She suggested calmly. Scatteredpaw curled her lips in a snarl, determination in her eyes.

"What? The loser wants a rematch? How pitiful." Scatteredpaw drawled, and Storktalon gave her a growl of warning.

"Now, you two, fight fair." Mossshadow warned, twitching her whiskers. Moonpaw sat down, contemplating her enemy. As Scatteredpaw crouched, Moonpaw pinpointed a slight slouch on her left side; that was where Moonpaw would strike.

Scatteredpaw charged at her, and Moonpaw aimed her gaze at the weakness spot; just as Scatteredpaw was about to strike, Moonpaw slammed into her, knocking her to the ground; breathless, Scatteredpaw fell to her back, where Moonpaw firmly pinned her down.

"Well done!" Mossshadow praised. Moonpaw wasn't surprised at her victory; instead, all she felt was the rage.

Suddenly, without warning, Moonpaw unsheathed her claws and slashed Scatteredpaw across her eye; she yowled in pain and surprise, and Moonpaw saw blood welling in the new scratch that would scar in a couple of days...

Suddenly, Moonpaw snapped back to reality. She stared, wide-eyed, at the wound she had given her opponent, and sheathed her claws; she stepped back, horrified, and heard Scatteredpaw's pained yowls for the first time.

"What has gotten into you, Moonpaw!" Storktalon exclaimed, looking at her angrily. Moonpaw flattened her ears against her head, ashamed.

"I...I don't know..." she stammered. The cool, even sensation that had consumed her was gone, and all she was left with was an overwhelming sense of guilt and fear.

"Oakstar. Now." Mossshadow growled, and Moonpaw followed her mentor forlornly as Storktalon tended to a weeping Scatteredpaw.

"Now Moonpaw, tell Oakstar why your here." Mossshadow hissed at her apprentice. They were sitting in the shade of the leader's den, Moonpaw hanging her head in shame.

"I...slashed at Scatteredpaw during training." Moonpaw gulped. She could feel Mossshadow's harsh gaze burning into her pelt.

When Oakstar said nothing, Moonpaw looked up; and immediately wished she hadn't. He had a terrible expression on his face, one mixed with anger and calm that scared Moonpaw to death.

There was a long pause. "Was there a reason you did this? Self-defense maybe?" Oakstar mewed evenly.

"N-...No sir." Moonpaw sighed. She was in for it now...she would probably be with the elders for moons...

"She was pinning Scatteredpaw down, and then suddenly slashed out at her. I don't know what has gotten into her." Mossshadow explained, flicking her tail-tip.

Oakstar twitched his whiskers. "I see." He turned to Moonpaw, who gave him a pleading gaze. "...you will be confined to camp for three sunrises, and while you are, you will change all of the bedding and make sure the elders are well-tended to."

Moonpaw felt a stone drop into her belly. Three sunrises confined to camp duties? She wished she only got to take care of the elders; now, she had to take care of the camp too.

She hung her head. "Yes, Oakstar. I won't to it again." Moonpaw mewed sincerely. She felt dull.

"Thank you, Oakstar. I promise this won't happen again." Mossshadow glared at her apprentice, then both of them exited the den.

It was moon high, and Moonpaw padded exhaustedly toward the apprentices' den when Mossshadow stopped her with her tail.

"No. You're guarding camp tonight." she mewed sourly. Moonpaw sighed, and instead headed for the entrance to camp.

Moonpaw yawned and sat down, feeling cast aside. She contemplated the entire ordeal that had happened; Moonpaw being defeated, then the feeling of power that had overcome her so much that she had injured a fellow apprentice. Then, being punished by Oakstar. It all seemed fair to her.

But what was this feeling she felt right then besides sadness? With a jolt she realized what it was.

It was satisfaction.

Moonpaw was happy that Scatteredpaw got hurt; she was happy that she had gotten at least a taste of revenge. And she wanted to taste that feeling of power again.

Moonpaw shivered, the moon suddenly seeming cold against her back. What was happening to her? Why did she feel this way?

A cool breeze slapped her in the face, making her eyes water. Then, the unpleasantly cool sensation overwhelmed her again, and she held in a gasp as a sharp pain entered her head. Suddenly, the pain ebbed away, and all she was left with was the cool sensation.

Terrific training today, Moonpaw...

Moonpaw jumped and looked around, but there was no other cat there; she recognized the same voice she had heard during training.

"What do you want?" Moonpaw asked, trying to sound calm.

Nothing at all, my dear. I am simply praising you on a job well done...

"What do you mean? I hurt Scatteredpaw, and now I'm punished." Something suddenly dawned on Moonpaw. "...It was you, wasn't it?"

What? The injury? Oh, no, I didn't do that. You did.

"Well, you made me feel that way. Made me feel..." Powerful. Moonpaw finished the thought in her head; she shuddered.

Ah, yes. But you can't argue that it felt right, hm?

Moonpaw had to admit, however much it sickened her, that she had enjoyed the sight of Scatteredpaw in pain.

The voice continued, Didn't it feel wonderful to have your vengeance? To actually pay her back for all of the trouble she gave you?

Moonpaw thought a moment."Well, yes, but...that doesn't make it right." Moonpaw mewed firmly. She wasn't going to let this cat make her feel uneasy anymore.

The voice sighed contemptuously. Well, fine then. The voice began to fade. You win; but, know this; the road to success is paved with the blood of your enemies. Then, a sharp pain entered Moonpaw's head and the voice was gone. Moonpaw suddenly felt drained of energy, and she felt her eyes droop with exhaustion.

Before she knew it, she was asleep, with her last thought being that she would be in even more trouble in the morning.

Please review! Tell me if it was juicy enough! Oh, and Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it! XD