Burningpaw woke to the sound of yowling. He sat up straight in his nest, easily recognizing the yowl. It was Brightpaw, and clearly she was in pain. Burningpaw scrambled out of his nest and stepped past the other apprentices, who were slowly waking as well.

"What is that?" Fernpaw, the youngest apprentice, mewed at the sound of another wail.

"It's Brightpaw. I have to see if she's okay," Burningpaw said over his shoulder as he crawled out of the den. He raced across the clearing and bumped into Dawnflower outside the nursery, who dropped a bundle of herbs. Burningpaw mewed an apology and helped her quickly retrieve the herbs.

"What's going on?" he asked as they pushed into the nursery. He immediately rushed to Brightpaw's nest and began licking between her ears. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Her kits are coming," Silverheart mewed, sweeping her own curious kits closer to her belly. They'd only just opened their eyes and were eager to see what all the chaos was.

Burningpaw nodded in understanding and curled around Brightpaw. The young she-cat seemed to calm down a bit once Burningpaw's body was pressed to hers, and although Dawnflower didn't look too happy about it, she let Burningpaw stay.

"I'm right here, Brightpaw," Burningpaw mewed. "I'm not going anywhere."

And he didn't. Burningpaw stayed and purred and soothed Brightpaw through the birth of two tom kits. One was black with white markings on his face, chest, belly, and legs, and the second, smaller kit was white with splotches of black on his back. Brightpaw purred and took turns grooming the kits between nursing them. After a while, when they were both curled asleep at her belly, Silverheart let her kits come over on wobbly paws and take a peek.

"Are you going to name them?" Mintkit asked.

"Yes, I think I will," Brightpaw purred. "Burningpaw, what should we name the bigger one?"

"Well, he's big and strong, isn't he? And marked like a badger. Why don't we call him Badgerkit?" Burningpaw suggested.

Brightpaw stared down at her kit and after a few moments, she nodded. "Yes; Badgerkit. The name will help him be strong, and fearless. And I want to call the little one Berrykit. Hopefully he'll have thorns, like a blackberry bush."

"They'll be strong kits, Brightpaw," Burningpaw murmured. "And loyal ThunderClan warriors."

Brightpaw's eyes seemed to darken. "And they won't live in their father's shadow. They'll never know who he is."

Burningpaw wasn't surprised to find himself in the same situation now as he was at the last gathering; picking his way down into the hollow, jaws open, hoping to pick out Lightningclaw's scent from the rest of ShadowClan.

"Raventhorn?" he asked softly, approaching a familiar dark grey tom. When the tom turned to acknowledge him, Burningpaw was relieved to see the yellow-amber eyes of Silverheart's mate, Lightningclaw.

"Oh, Lightningclaw!" Burningpaw purred. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Shhh," Lightningclaw shushed him and quickly gestured for Burningpaw to follow him into a small hollow under a large, twisting oak root. They squeezed into the hollow together, and Burningpaw was struck with the sudden realization that he was actually the same size as Lightningclaw now.

"How are the kits?" Lightningclaw mewed.

"They're doing wonderfully. Brightpaw's kits have been born and they've opened their eyes! They've both got blue eyes. They… Look a lot like Gullstar, to be honest," Burningpaw sighed.

"Brightpaw's kits? What are they named? Are they toms or she-kits?"

"Badgerkit and Berrykit. Two toms."

Lightningclaw blinked and purred happily. "I can't wait to meet them. I'd like to visit again soon."

"ThunderClan will always welcome you, Lightningclaw. I'll make sure of it."

Before anything else could be said, the call came for the Gathering to start, so Lightningclaw and Burningpaw squeezed out of the hollow and went their separate ways.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Brightpaw slipped out of the nursery, Berrykit and Badgerkit at her heels. This was only the second Clan meeting she'd seen in ThunderClan, the other being Fernpaw's apprenticeship ceremony. She glanced around for Burningpaw, and after a moment, she realized what this meeting was for. She grinned widely, and a moment later saw Burningpaw slip out of the apprentice's den, his pelt freshly groomed. His brother and sister followed him, and the three cats took their place in the center of the clearing.

Brightpaw sat near the nursery and wrapped her tail around her kits, to keep them at her paws and out of trouble. Silverheart came out and sat next to her, doing the same with slightly less grace. It was much harder for Silverheart to keep her four kits in line compared to Brightpaw's two. Not only were Brightpaw's kits slightly younger, but Berrykit seemed frightened by most things and stayed under Brightpaw's belly, leaving her to just deal with Badgerkit.

Brightpaw looked up when she heard Burningpaw's name being called and watched Shimmerstar hop down to meet the apprentice at the bottom of the Highrock.

"Burningpaw," she meowed. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Burningpaw cast his gaze around the camp, and Brightpaw gasped softly when his eyes met hers. Burningpaw blinked slowly at her before turning back to Shimmerstar and nodding his head. "I do," he said proudly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. From this moment on you will be known as Burningleaf. StarClan honors your bravery and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan." Shimmerstar rested her muzzle on his head and Burningleaf gave her shoulder a quick lick.

Before any cat could cheer for him, Shimmerstar continued, "Ratclaw; are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior of ThunderClan?"

"She is," Ratclaw replied.

"Goldenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Goldenpaw called. Brightpaw was struck by the strength and devotion in Goldenpaw's mew.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on you will be known as Goldenstep. StarClan honors your determination, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan." Shimmerstar rested her muzzle on Goldenstep's head and received a lick to her shoulder. She took a step back from Goldenstep and took a deep breath.

"Emberglow; are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior of ThunderClan?"

"I am!" Emberglow seemed to swell with pride.

"Gorsepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Gorsepaw mewed eagerly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on you will be known as Gorsemouse. StarClan honors your courage, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan." Shimmerstar placed her muzzle on Gorsemouse's head and he licked her shoulder. Shimmerstar smiled proudly and gave a short nod, and the Clan burst into calls of the new warrior's names.

"Burningleaf! Burningleaf!" Brightpaw called. She excitedly got to her paws and left her kits with Silverheart. She pushed through the crowd and ran up to Burningleaf, quickly touching noses with him.

"Congratulations," she purred. Burningleaf purred as well and pressed his flank to hers.