A/n: So, I typed this off from something I wrote on my iPod Touch. Sorry if this is shorter than the others... It's hard to tell length on an iPod Touch.
"Eggpaw! Palepaw! Ravenpaw!" Lilypaw enthusiastically joined the chanting of her new denmates' names. Truthfully, she would rather it have been Willowkit and Rainkit so that there were some other she-cats in the den, but that was still a half-moon away. For now, she would be stuck in a den with five toms. Since Icepaw's death, she was the only she-cat apprentice.
As usual, thinking of her best friend made Lilypaw sad. Even recently, when she was patrolling or hunting or training or talking to her friends, she'd see or hear something that brought back a strong memory of Icepaw and she would just stop talking and moving and just sit there, lost in the memories. Whenever she was with Nightpaw and it happened, he would come over and try to gently shake her out of it by licking her ear or quietly saying, "c'mon, snap out of it." That was causing her to drift even further away from him. She didn't want to be shaken out of it! He tried to be her friend like he used to be, but it just wasn't the same.
That made her grateful for Sparkpaw, who she considere dot be one of her only close friends now. Often, they would go for walks through the forest together- just wandering around with no particular destination, for no particular reason. Whenever Lilypaw started thinking about Icepaw and stopped, he understood. He didn't try to touch her or talk to her or snap her out of it. He just waited for it to pass because he knew that that was what she needed, nothing more, nothing less.
"Lilypaw!"
Lilypaw turned around. "Hi, Sparkpaw!" She purred. "What's up?"
"I heard a couple of warriors talking. It sounds like the prey is returning!"
"And...?"
"So? Let's go hunting!" Sparkpaw meowed.
"Sounds like fun," Lilypaw replied. "Let's go!"
THe pastel calico led the way out of camp and into the woods. The last of the snow had finally melted, leaving behind the beginnings of a lush newleaf. Almost immediately, Sparkpaw caught a mouse. "Look how fat this one is," Lilypaw purred, poking it. "Haven't seen prey like this in moons."
"More will follow," Sparkpaw agreed as he buried it. They wandered together through the woods, catching whatever prey they saw and burying it for later.
"Thank StarClan that newleaf is here," Lilypaw purred. "I haven't seen such rich prey in-" she stopped, choking on her words and staring in horror at the clearing in front of her.
"Lilypaw?" Sparkpaw, who had been behind her, ran forward to catch up. "What is it?" Oh..."
Lilypaw sunk to the ground, trembling. In front of them, the snow-weathered husk of an enormous branch lay on the ground. She remembered that dark afternoon three moons ago, when the pouring rain and whiplike winds had brought the branch crashing down. "No..."
She could sense Sparkpaw next to her; he was watching her with careful eyes, but not interfering. Lilypaw buried her face in her paws. The memories were overwhelming, threatening to swallow her. THat horrible day still haunted her. She had to get away from here. Shuddering, she rose to her paws, turned away and walked in the other direction. Keep walking, she reminded herself. Don't think about it. She emerged onto the pebbly lakeshore of the beach and collapsed against the stones. "I just... Miss her so much..."
Sparkpaw came over and lay down beside her, licking her ear. "I know," he murmured. "I do, too."
"Sometimes, I don't think about it. I try to ignore it. But how can I? She was my best friend..." Lilypaw buried her face in Sparkpaw's thick fur, shivering.
"Shh, it's all right," he murmured. "She's in StarClan now, remember? Probably watching over us right now."
Lilypaw stared up at the sky, blinking in the bright sunlight. Are you there?
They lay on the beach together until sunset started to turn the water into liquid amber and cast a golden light onto the beach. They heard a rustle in the bushes, and Sparkpaw leaped up. "Who's there?"
No one replied. Lilypaw stood up, stretching, and mewed "we should go back now."
As they passed through the bushes, Lilypaw caught the heavy scent of wild garlic, which strongly masked the scent of... Nightpaw. Lilypaw's ears flattened as she wondered how long he'd watched them, but she shook it off. Not my fault he's jealous. The two apprentices collected the prey they'd caught earlier and returned to camp. When Stormstrike praised her on the amount of prey they had and told her she could turn in early, she didn't resist and fell asleep almost instantly.
"Wake up, little one."
Groggily, Lilypaw opened ehr eyes to see a vaguely familiar she-cat standing over her. Lilypaw searched her mind frantically, then recognized the starry pelt and scrambled to her feet. "Bluestar!" She hastily dipped her head. "Not to be rude, but, er... Why are you in my dream?"
The blue-gray she-cat chuckled. "You have matured in many ways since we last spoke, but I see your clumsiness is still there."
Lilypaw blushed. "Thanks?"
"We have something to show you. Follow me."
Lilypaw trotted after the StarClan cat, who vanished into the undergrowth. They took a seemingly long and pointless route through the ferns until they emerged in a clearing. Lilypaw recognized it from her dream at the Moonpool.
"Dip your nose into the water," Bluestar instructed.
Cautiously, Lilypaw obliged. Immediately, she had the sensation of being sucked in and spit out. She found herself in the ThunderClan nursery. Her father, Sunheart, was there along with Silversong and Mintwing. Her mother was passed out in the moss. At her belly were two tiny kits- With a shock, she realized it was herself and Moonkit right after they were born. The newly born Lilykit was suckling like her life depended on it, but Moonkit lay motionless in the moss.
Sunheart shook his head. "No, no, no..." He leaned forward to touch his daughter's forehead but jerked back, eyes wide and crazy. They cleared after one moment and he stared at Silversong in awe. "What... What was that?" He asked.
Silversong shook her head sadly. "This was not supposed to happen."
Lilypaw listened in amazement as Silversong told Sunheart about Moonkit's destiny and the great war that would happen and destroy the Clans because she died. Lilypaw stared in surprise as teh shimmering lily grew above her tiny sleeping form and as Silversong said that StarClan had chosen the sister of the Leader to take her place. Lilypaw's vision went black and she found herself back in the clearing with Bluestar.
"So I'm just a replacement for Moonkit?" Lilypaw asked bitterly.
Bluestar sighed. "It was not your destiny to lead ThunderClan. It was never supposed to be."
"But it is now?"
Bluestar nodded. "You have to learn to lead your Clan. That is why Stormstrike is so harsh on you."
"Oh." Lilypaw felt conflicted. "But I don't want to be a leader! I want a normal life... Is that too much to ask?"
Bluestar shook her head. "We do not choose our own destiny," she told Lilypaw. Bluestar gave her a strange look. "We can, however, choose our own path. Now, your dream is nearly over, but first, I believe that someone has been dying to see-"
"LILYPAW!" A blur of white shot from the bushes an tackled her.
"Icepaw!" Lilypaw threw her off and jumped up. The she-cat looked much the same as she did in life- Her white pelt was sleek and her dark blue eyes sparkled and were full of happiness. SHe touched noses with LIlypaw. "I missed you so much!"
"I missed you, too." LIlypaw replied.
Bluestar chuckled and stood up to leave. "You have until sunrise," she mewed as she pushed through the ferns and was gone.
"So, how is everyone?" Icepaw asked. "Sparkpaw and Nightpaw and all of them?"
"They're all fine," Lilypaw replied.
Icepaw leaned in closer. "So, tell me something: How much are you in loooove with Sparkpaw?"
Lilypaw jolted back, ears on fire. Icepaw fell over laughing. "I knew it!" she crowed. "But seriously. He likes you. Oh, look, it's sunrise. See you soon!" And Lilypaw woke up wishing she'd been able to stay longer.
A/n: Sooooo? What do you guys think? c: I think it turned out all right! Please review if you liked it! Also, I want to hear warrior name suggestions for Lilypaw and Nightpaw. Sparkpaw's is already decided :P So? Warrior names please c:
