A/N: Sorry. It's been a while since I updated. I've been so hooked on my other fic; I finished the first one!!! The second is coming soon. Should I make a sequel to this...? Hm...I wonder...
Leafstar took a slight step backward in alarm. Tinypaw's ears flicked forward at Thorn's request, and yet a butterfly of anticipation fluttered its wings in her stomach.
Thorn, join SkyClan?
"Whatever do you mean?" Leafstar questioned, the tip of her tail twitching in interest.
Thorn sighed. "This may sound a bit odd, but Bat, Night, and Ivory have accepted it," the tabby rogue meowed. Tinypaw flinched at Ivory's name. "But from what I've heard, from all your stories of how Firestar and Sandstorm tried to rebuild the Clan, I realized that you must be lacking in warriors and apprentices. Wouldn't it be a good thing to have me join SkyClan?"
"What about Ivory?" Tinypaw couldn't help blurting out. The white healing cat's ears pricked not far away.
"Remember?" Thorn muttered. "She said it was all right if I went to join you—"
"If I can join you, too," the white she-cat meowed coolly, padding slowly over to the talking cats. "Thorn's told me enough of the warrior code to understand it."
Leafstar chuckled in response to the number of rogues wanting to join SkyClan. "Well, you certainly have enough rogues here to fill at least three Clans…it would be fine if you joined SkyClan."
"But Echosong is our medicine cat," Tinypaw stated coldly. "Ivory would have to resign her position."
"Firestar said that medicine cats have apprentices too," Leafstar meowed. "Whether they have a warrior name or not."
Ivory nodded. "So it's settled?" she mewed. "We're joining SkyClan."
"Joining SkyClan?" a high-pitched voice squeaked.
Tinypaw groaned inwardly and turned to see Brush and Bark leaping at her white tail. "Er…" she stuttered.
"We want to join SkyClan!" Brush yelped.
"Can we, Leafstar?" Bark mewled. Suddenly, he turned and rammed into his mother, who was watching from afar. "Mother, can we please join SkyClan?"
Rain glanced up at Tinypaw and Leafstar. "Who told you you could do that?" she hissed softly.
"Personally," Leafstar began, "it's fine by me."
"Yes," Tinypaw added. "You could all join! Brush, Bark, Rain, and even your mate."
Rain looked down in sorrow. "I'm afraid to say that a fox killed Tree not long ago," the silver she-cat mewed.
Tinypaw pressed her nose to Rain's muzzle. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.
"Tinypaw," a soft voice mewed from behind Rain and her kits. Tinypaw looked behind her to see a familiar group of Ground Rogues sitting down patiently. "Do you remember us?" the small, black-brown she-cat mewed.
Realization hit Tinypaw and she padded up to the four cats. "You're Ivy!" she exclaimed. "I remember you! And your sister, Dust." Tinypaw nodded to the pale grey she-cat beside Ivy. She looked up to the dark grey she-cat. "And you're their mother, Storm."
"And I'm Bracken," said the dark brown tom. "We couldn't help overhearing your conversation; if you don't mind, Clan life sounds better than the life we're living now."
Tinypaw did a double-take at Forest nodding his head in agreement beside Thorn. How many of these rogues exactly wanted to join SkyClan.
"Are all my best fighters leaving me?" said the icy voice of Bat, who was trotting up toi the group. Tinypaw saw the dark brown tom take a seat beside Leafstar.
"Bat, it seems as if all these cats would like to join SkyClan," the tabby leader meowed, pride escaping her tone.
Bat gazed around at the Ground Rogues eager to join SkyClan and scowled. He got up disdainfully and turned tail, hissing over his shoulder, "You're all traitors."
Thorn bounded after his former leader. "We're not traitors, Bat!" he called. "We simply believe that the Ground Rogues are plenty, and SkyClan is not. Surely you can understand that. And you heard Leafstar. There are enough cats in here to fill three whole Clans!"
Thorn words suddenly brought Tinypaw back into reality. She remembered back to her visit to the Whispering Cave with Echosong and Rainfur and Cloudstar's prophecy; all this time she was supposed to be teaching the Ground Rogues of the warrior code! They were supposed to become Clan cats!
"Thorn—" the white apprentice started, but was cut off by the yowl from Bat.
"You mean we're going to lose our healing cat as well?" he hissed. "Who will be her replacement?"
"I will do it, Bat," a soft yet cool voice meowed from the shadows.
"Ah, yes, of course, Cloud." Bat got up and began to trotting over into the shadow. He halted and turned his head to Thorn and the others. "You may leave now, and never return for my help again."
Thorn heaved a sigh and turned back to Leafstar. "Shall we?" he meowed. Without another word, the new SkyClan cats and the old padded out of the underground cave, leaving behind bewildered stares.
"Who are these?" came the hiss of Sharpclaw as the group of cats entered the SkyClan camp. Leafstar simply stared him down with icy golden eyes before leaping atop the Rockpile and addressing the already gathered SkyClan cats:
"All cats of SkyClan," she began, her voice ringing loud and clear through the now darkening leaf-bare air. "I bring new SkyClan cats!"
All the cats around Tinypaw began murmuring to each other in confusion and surprise, casting odd glances at the newcomers.
"All former Ground Rogue fighters and queens, please come forward," Leafstar called.
Thorn cast a glance at Tinypaw before walking forward along with Forest, Storm, Bracken, and Rain. They all gazed up at their new leader.
"Thorn, Storm, Bracken, and Rain; do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?" Leafstar asked.
Tinypaw leaned in a whispered, "Say 'I do.'"
Thorn nodded and repeated the words, the others following suit.
Leafstar nodded. "Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names," she announced. With one swift movement, the dappled tabby leader leaped off of the Rockpile and trotted up to Rain. "Rain, from this moment you will be known as Rainsong. StarClan honours your loyalty and bravery for your new Clan and we welcome you as a warrior of SkyClan." With that, Leafstar rested her head on Rain's silver head. Looking at her confused expression, Tinypaw laughed and padded up to her. "Lick her shoulder." Rain nodded and licked Leafstar's shoulder respectfully.
Immediately, Leafstar turned to Bracken. "From this moment you will be known as Brackenpelt. StarClan honours your determination to join SkyClan and leave the Ground Rogues and we welcome you as a full SkyClan warrior." Leafstar rested her head on the dark brown warrior's head. Brackenpelt hesitated before licking his leader's shoulder in respect.
Leafstar turned to Storm. "From this moment you will be known as Stormcloud. StarClan honours your bravery in leaving the Ground Rogues, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan." Leafstar placed her head on top of Stormcloud's and the dark grey she-cat licked her shoulder in return.
Lastly, Leafstar pulled away from Storm and turned to Thorn. Her eyes glistened in pride before speaking the words of tradition: "From this moment you will be known as Thorntail. StarClan honours you unpredictable strength and your amazing loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan."
"Fox dung!" Sharpclaw yowled from beside the Rockpile. He stalked up to Leafstar and the new warriors. "How can you possibly allow these…these mouse-brains to join SkyClan?"
"I don't know, Sharpclaw." Leafstar spat the name. "Maybe SkyClan is full of mouse-brains."
Sharpclaw glanced at Tinypaw, a look filled with hatred and rage. Tinypaw simply smirked at him and looked back at Thorntail, who was now licking Leafstar's shoulder.
Proud of her new Clanmates, Tinypaw began calling out their warrior names: "Rainsong! Brackenpelt! Stormcloud! Thorntail!" She called Thorntail's exceptionally loudly.
Leafstar then called up the beginners, Dust and Ivy.
"Rain, how old are your kits?" Tinypaw quickly asked Rainsong.
"They're about six moons," Rainsong replied. "Why?"
Without answering Rainsong's question, Tinypaw leaned down and whispered to Brush and Bark, "Go on, you two. You're ready to become apprentices."
The two kits exchanged excited glances and ran up to set beside Dust and Ivy.
"What are your names?" Leafstar asked.
Each of the new SkyClan cats repeated their names to their new leader. Leafstar nodded and meowed clearly, "Clovertail, I think you are ready for your first apprentice. Why don't you train young Dustpaw here?"
Clovertail's tail shot up in the air in surprise. She nodded slightly before padding through the crowd and up to Dustpaw. The two touched noses before trotting off to the side of the gorge.
"Rainsong, I know you're a new warrior, but we're all learning together for now," Leafstar meowed. "I would like you to train Ivypaw."
Rainsong nodded and touched noses with her new apprentice, mimicking what Clovertail and Dustpaw did, before following the others to the side of the gorge.
"Brackenpelt, once again, we're all training together. You may train Brushpaw," Leafstar meowed.
Brackenpelt nodded formally and touched noses with Brushpaw. The two trotted over to the side of the gorge and spoke quietly to each other.
"Stormcloud, I would like you to mentor Barkpaw. We're all learning together." Stormcloud nodded and touched noses with Barkpaw. The two padded over to the side of gorge.
Tinypaw's heart thudded deafeningly. She didn't know why, but she wanted desperately for Thorntail to get an apprentice. But apparently, Leafstar had other plans for him.
After that, Leafstar announced, "Echosong, please come forward." The silver tabby medicine cat padded forward in confusion. "You are now given an apprentice." Leafstar turned to Ivory who was waiting patiently. "Ivory, do you promise to fulfil the duties of a medicine cat apprentice and abide to StarClan's warrior code?"
Ivory nodded. "I do," she meowed.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment you will be known as Ivoryclaw. We welcome you as a medicine cat apprentice of SkyClan."
Ivoryclaw nodded and licked Leafstar's shoulder as the leader rested her head on the new medicine cat apprentice's.
Tinypaw glanced at Thorntail, who was still sitting in the hollow. Tinypaw didn't know when Leafstar intended on telling the Clan about Sharpclaw, but hopefully it would be soon.
A/N: Hm...I also wonder... (copyright: The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra)
Gah! I just realized that I forgot Forest!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, I'll do that next time...sorry!!!!!!!! Sorry Forest.