An: Phew! Took me FOREVER until I posted this! Sorry, if you were waiting on it.
"I, Finchstar, leader of ThunderClan, call my warriors ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have worked hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Ivypaw, Weedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warriors code and to defend and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"
"I do," two voices, brimming with excitement, met the shivering air.
"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Ivypaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Ivythorn. StarClan honors your bravery and cunning, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Weedpaw watched as Ivypaw- no, Ivythorn- stepped forward and licked Finchstar's shoulder as their leader laid her chin on his sister's head. Ivythorn stepped back and Finchstar turned to Weedpaw.
"Weedpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Weedstripe…" an icy chill ran down Weedstripe's spine like a cold claw. "StarClan honors your loyalty and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Weedstripe blindly stepped forward and briefly licked his leader's shoulder. He consciously blocked out his Clanmate's cheers. He didn't want to have to hear his new name.
"Our new warriors will be sitting vigil silently until dawn," Finchstar declared.
"That means no talking," Foxnose's eyes betrayed the happiness he was feeling towards his former apprentice. "Starting now." Good. Weedpaw didn't feel like talking. He followed his sister out of the camp and sat down to the right of the thorn tunnel.
They sat there for what seemed like moons. Ivythorn got up a few times and paced around, but Weedstripe could hardly feel the discomfort in his legs. He twitched his whiskers as he came to his conclusion. He had no idea what Weedstripe had even done. How bad could it have been?
Suddenly, a bright light obscured his vision of everything else. The light became darkness, and the stench of decay reached his nose. A grayish fog swept in and around the trees, and as Weedstripe looked up, he could see no stars.
He instantly knew where he was, and he shivered.
"How bad could it be?" Weedstripe whipped around to find the other Weedstripe, staring at him from atop a mossy log.
"Yes," Weedstripe stated boldly, puffing out his chest. He was a warrior now. He shouldn't be afraid of anything.
"Well that depends on whose side you are on," the tom in front of him said silkily. "How bad would you say murdering someone was?" Weedstripe was taken aback. This cat was asking him how bad it was to take a life without reason?
"I would say that it is very bad, and unnecessary," the other Weedstripe snorted.
"Only a blind StarClan cat would say that. There was a she-cat, who thought it would be fun to just stomp around on my heart. She dumped me, her best friend, for a tomcat from SkyClan, of all places! That ignorant, stuck-up, piece of fox-dung, Bearstar. She was attracted to power, and back then I was hardly a ghost to all Clans but my own, ShadowClan. I had nothing to offer her, and back then, Bearstar was still Bearclaw. The cocky deputy of the cats who think they are squirrels, and jump throughout the trees as such…"
"But why did you murder her?" Weedstripe pressed.
"I never did. I murdered her sister, Blindheart. She was too needy. She was blind and a burden on the Clan, and I knew that would hurt Brooktail more than anything. I laid low for a while and finally I became deputy. Then, I made an attempt on Lichenstone's life… she was leader then. I would've become leader, but that mouse-brained Heatherstar got in the way. Lichenstone exiled me, I was killed by Bearstar after I tried to kill him, and I was sent here." Weedstripe bowed his head and concentrated on trying to process this information. This cat had killed his mate's sister in a jealous rage, and had tried to take position as leader to get her back. Apparently, ShadowClan hadn't been big on sharing this information, otherwise I would've heard about this incident. He thought. Why would Finchstar name me Weedstripe if she had known about the terrible things associated with this name?
"You showed your strength yesterday," the comment broke Weedstripe's concentration, and he snapped his head back up. "You could've killed Crouchshadow, but you didn't. You would've, I know it,"
"I wouldn't have if I'd known how close I was to killing her," the other Weedstripe snorted again.
"You should've, and you would've if Vulturebeak hadn't thrown you off," he hissed.
"Yes. But if I did, the guilt would follow me forever…"
"You'd get over it," Weedstripe glared at the matted gray tom.
"I'm not a murderer like you! After I am dead, the name Weedstripe will make cats think of me, not you! They will remember the good in the name Weedstripe, not the evil you have stained it with. I will make sure every cat forgets about you…"
"Every cat, but you…" the evil cat's eyes glowed from dark yellow, to orange, to red in an instant as Weedstripe roused himself from his stupor.
He was outside the ThunderClan camp, being prodded harshly by his sister.
"I know we're not supposed to talk, but are you okay? You dozed off and it took you forever to get me to wake you up," she hissed. He stayed silent but nodded fiercely. 'Good', she mouthed, and resumed pacing.
Weedstripe looked around. It seemed that almost no time had passed. But that was impossible wasn't it?
AN: Love it, hate it? Review!