Hi guys, just a btw, the cat on the cover of the book is Echokit(or at least, a picture of a black cat with blue eyes. Whatev.)

Enjoy!

REVIEW!

More importantly!

Also, if anyone here does VWW(virtual warrior world) my username is Echokit, if anyone does and you want to plot just comment below with your username! I love meeting new people!

Okay, to... Stunna13, Really? You do? Gorsekit... I dunno, just seemed... I dunno. And yes, I might try to change that in the future, I just didn't want a leader and a main to have the same pre-fix so I kinda rushed that whole naming part. (Personally, when reading fics or even real warriors books, i just skip the allegiances :l-

Thanks for the review, and yeah, Guest, thank you! It'd be awesome if you could make a profile so I can do a real shout-out... And, the next choppy!

Mintkit woke up bouncing, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Today! Today! Today!" he sang as he pranced around his brother.

"I'm going to be Mintstar soon!"

"No, I'll be Newtstar!"

Mintkit snorted. "Yeah, right. What kind of name is Newtstar?"

"What kind of name is Mintstar?" retorted Newtkit, but his feelings were clearly hurt. Uncomfortable, Mintkit hastily added, "Don't worry. When I'm leader, I'll make you my deputy."

"Okay!" mewed Newtkit, easily recovering his excitement.

Mintkit pranced importantly up and down the front of the nursery, then made as if to leap onto the boulder.

"I, Mintstar, leader of ShadowClan…"

Newtkit growled and lunged at his brother, sending them both toppling. "Oh, no you won't! I'm… I'm Spiritstar, and I eat kits! I'll eat you!"

"Is that any way for an apprentice to behave?"

The two sprang to their feet and stared at their paws, not wanting to look at Antshine. "Wait—now?"

Antshine purred. "Soon. Tawnystar's speaking with your mentors…"

"Who are they?" pleaded Newtkit. "Please tell us!"

"You'll find out."

Suddenly, a yowl spread over camp. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me for a Clan meeting."

Newtkit squealed and ran off. Trying to look more dignified, Mintkit pranced self-importantly past the nursery, lifting each paw high up before setting it down. He caught an amber gaze from the nursery, set into a black pelt. Ravenkit.

"We're going to be apprentices," he informed the young kit loftily.

"Really?" His eyes widened. There was a scufling inside the nursery, and Cedarheart's three new kits, Firekit, Moonkit, and Beechkit, who had only recently opened their eyes, came tumbling out. Mintkit was surprised at the pang of regret he felt when Firekit looked up at him with big, pale eyes. She was a good friend. He brushed the feelings off. They would be apprentices in a few moons, anyway.

He hurried to catch up with his brother, who was staring up at Tawnystar, eyes shining.

"Newtkit, Mintkit, step forward."

They did so, Newtkit excitedly, Mintkit trying to look as dignified as possible. I'll show Tawnystar that I'm mature enough to be an apprentice! More mature than Newtkit. More mature than Stormpaw, even!

"Newtkit, you have reached the age of six moons and are ready to be apprenticed. From this moment on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Newtpaw. Your mentor will be Pineheart. I hope Pineheart will pass down all he knows onto you."

The russet warrior stepped up, and Newtpaw touched a quivering nose to his. The two stepped back as Tawnystar spoke again:

"Mintkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. From this moment on, until you have recieved your warriorname, you will be known as Mintpaw. Your mentor will be Ivyshine. I hope Ivyshine will pass down all she knows onto you."

The pure white she-cat stepped up, eyes shining. She was relatively young, and MIntpaw was her first apprentice. "I hope I do well to teach you," she whispered in his ear as they touched noses.

"You will," he whispered back.

"And I have a few more announcements to make before I let you all go. Dewpaw, Sagepaw, step forward."

The two apprentices stepped forwards. Mintpaw stared at them with undisguised envy. The whole Clan had been talking about their warrior ceremony for moons.

"I, Tawnystar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

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

"I do."

Of course you do. that's what being in a Clan is about!

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dewpaw, from now on you will be known as Dewdrop. StarClan honors your steadfastness and perseverance, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan."

"Dewdrop! Dewdrop!"

Sagepaw became Sagetooth, and Tawnystar hopped down from the boulder.

And then Dapplepaw's nose was an inch from his. "Isn't it great!" He gave a start. "Uh, yeah!"

"Come on, I'll show you the apprentice den."

Mintpaw caught a glimpse of Robinpaw peeking out of the medicine cat's den. He wondered if she regretted that, as a medicine cat, she would recieve her full name after her litter-mates.

Newtpaw shook his head ruefully. "It's our first training session!"

"Of course! I forgot."

Mintpaw trotted over to Ivyshine, Newtpaw on his heels. Ivyshine, Pineheart, Applecloud, Maplepelt and Grayshade all stood there with their apprentices.

"Come on," called Grayshade to Stormpaw.

"What are we doing?" demanded Mintpaw bouncing around his mentor. She purred. "I was thinking we'll explore ShadowClan territory."

Mintpaw's whiskers drooped in disappointment. "No battle moves? No hunting? No night raids?" He blinked several times involuntarily, remembering the game of Invasion. He shivered, remembering the cold feeling. He hadn't thought about that for a while, but maybe he had. He could feel it pricking the back of his mind. He shoved it back down. He was Mintpaw. Nothing bothered him. If he could really do… what he'd seen, then so what! He'd be the best warrior in ShadowClan! He already was the best warrior in ShadowClan.

But no one could know. Not until he was sure.

"Or, you know, hunting."

"Maybe later."

"Frostpaw and I will go with you," announced Grayshade. "She needs to calm down a bit."

Frostpaw sniffed, but said nothing. Mintpaw brightened considerably when he saw the stuffy apprentice resigned to initiating the newbies.

"When are we leaving?"

"Lead the way."

Mintpaw gave an excited little bounce and scampered out of camp through the thin path. For the first time free in the forest, he gave another little bounce and breathed in the scent of the pine all around him. The small patrol padded silently through the forest.

All the other clans think they're so great. ShadowClan could rip their fur out with one paw behind our backs! They'd never hear us coming! And they'd never see me at all…

No. He shook his head violently, ridding it of the thought. Whatever had happened had been a trick of the light. It had been moons ago. He'd been younger.

For one thing, I was a kit!

"Who knows where we practice quiet stalks and night hunting?"

Mintpaw blinked. Dapplepaw had told him, it was… "The Great Sycamore," he blurted out. Newtpaw looked disappointed, and Frostpaw looked bored. "Are we going there?"

"We'll check it out. We're just showing you around right now."

"We might run into the other apprentices over there, so make sure to be quiet so as not to scare away any prey they might be stalking."

Mintpaw nodded and ran off ahead, eager to arrive. Can't they walk any faster? Dormice!

Indeed, he could hear cats up ahead, but only slightly so. The leaf-fall wind carried away much of their conversation.

"Stormpaw! Why… my… kill! You…"

Dapplepaw!

"Can we go meet up with them?" he pleaded Ivyshine.

Ivyshine's eyes laughed in the dim light. "All right," she conceded. "Don't go to far!"

"I won't!" Mintpaw called over his shoulder as he sprinted away. He could see Newtpaw struggling to keep up with him from behind, but he didn't slow. Newtpaw would just have to run faster.

"Dapplepaw?" he called uncertainly. Though he'd heard the cats, it seemed they'd moved on.

Or maybe they're hunting!

He blinked nervously. He hoped he hadn't scared anything away. He padded forward, tasting the air. He could smell Dapplepaw's familiar scent not too far away, and near it, a scent he'd smelled before, but never quite so fresh… mouse!

"Mintpaw! Where are you?"

Mintpaw scowled. Mousebrains! They'll scare away all the prey in the forest!

Instead of bounding back towards them, he padded towards Dapplepaw. He didn't want to scare her, just see how she did it. If he did it right, she might not even see him!

He had experience with that. He padded forwards softly. His paws didn't make a sound, and he smiled to himself. Definetely the best ShadowClan warrior around!

He slunk forwards quickly and nearly blundered into the tortoiseshell pelt, but snuck back just in time. He practically stepped on the mouse. He backtracked, panicking, hiding behind a few bracken fronds. Oh, I'm sorry Dapplepaw. Please don't see me!

He breathed as quietly as he could. The wind was blowing in the other direction, so Dapplepaw didn't catch his scent, but she did raise her head suspiciously, then shook it of and resumed her stalking.

Don't see me, please don't see me!

And the cold washed over him.

Dapplepaw pounced, landing squarely on the mouse. She straightened up, the plump prey hanging from her jaws. It would make a good addition to the fresh-kill pile, especially with leaf-bare so near.

Mintpaw exhaled loudly, and the wind changed.

Dapplepaw staggered backwards as his scent hit her. He stepped out of the bracken fronds. He had been discovered. She could see him. The cold meant nothing at all.

But, she wasn't looking directly at him. She was staring at a spot somewhere to his left, and she squeaked when the brackens moved. "Mintpaw?" she whispered.

"Yes," he mewed, trying to be confused but horribly certain of something. He cocked his head and brushed her nose with his long black tail. "Right here."

She shrieked and jumped back. Somewhere in the distance, Applecloud called her name. "You're doing it again, aren't you?" she whispered. "You're… invisible."

Mintpaw shivered. "I am?" His voice came out squeakier then he meant it to. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean, I am?"

Dapplepaw normally would have purred, but now she just stared. "I can't believe it. I thought I'd been imagining it, but…"

Mintpaw felt his concentration lapse as Dapplepaw did not immediately run as fast as she could in the other direction. The cold fell off of him in waves, and Dapplepaw's eyes grew even wider.

"It's true. You're back now."

Mintpaw simply stood. He would be the best warrior in ShadowClan because of this… this difference. But he didn't want to be different. He could still be the best warrior in ShadowClan without cats staring at him all the time the way Dapplepaw was staring at him now.

"Why can I do it?" he whispered.

"Dapplepaw!" His father's mew was closer now. Dapplepaw ignored it and stared at him broodingly, finally saying, "I don't know. No one else can… I think.

"But you've always been a good friend." She stepped closer. "I will try to help you understand, and… I promise not to tell anybody."

"Really?" He turned up his nose, doubting of the older apprentice. "I have no reason to trust you," he said coldly, but regretted the words as soon as he'd spoken them. Dapplepaw narrowed her amber eyes. "You have faith, Mintpaw. And you need to learn humility. If no one tries to send you to StarClan early, then I think you can believe in me." She turned away coldly and bounded out of the small clearing. "I'm here, Applecloud," he heard her call in the distance.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, but he wasn't sure if she heard him or not. He padded backwards out of the clearing and slammed into Frostpaw.

"Mintpaw! What are you doing? Why'd you run off?"

"Sorry," mumbled Mintpaw. "I just, uh… got lost."

Frostpaw snorted, flicking her icy-silver tail. "New apprentices. Think they can do anything, until they can't."

Mintpaw scowled at her, and Newtpaw saved him from very nearly pouncing on the lofty apprentice by crashing through the bracken after her. "Mintpaw! We wondered where you went!"

"Yeah, just got lost," he mumbled hastily, turning away from Frostpaw, who sniffed and lifted her pink nose in the air. Mintpaw turned and bounded out of the clearing, narrowly avoiding a collision with Pineheart, who was padding over suspiciously, probably to see what was taking them so long.

"Sorry," he muttered, and kept sprinting until he slammed into Ivyshine.

She blinked down at him. "Where did you come from?"

Mintpaw purred. "Sorry, I just got lost," he lied. "Can you teach me how to hunt now?"

Newtpaw, Frostpaw and Pineheart came padding after him, all three looking thoroughly confused. Ivyshine blinked again. "Okay, hunting is fine, but… what just…?"

Mintpaw was already padding away from the Burnt Sycamore, hoping his pelt wasn't showing the shame too much, though it pricked with guilt. He padded away uncertainly, hoping he had not ruined any trust he could have had with Dapplepaw, and hoping it—something—would come to light.

Got a long chappy for you guys this time(Thank Stunna13 for that!) Hope you enjoyed, review with what you think and/or if you do VWW and maybe wanna plot, post your username! Cheers!