AN: Finally getting back into the updating schedule. One more chapter left before the epilogue, which should be…interesting. Anyways, please enjoy the chapter :P

Chapter 24

The daylight Gathering was unlike anything Sunpaw had ever seen. It looked as though every cat from the Clans had arrived. Queens came with their kits, while grouchy elders complained about why they had to come. Apprentices of all ages were chattering about the sudden announcement. Senior warriors clustered together to discuss the matter of Twolegs that had destroyed their homes. Younger cats were less inviting to one another. Tension rose from the young warriors as they tried to avoid one another, aware that any news given to the other could weaken their Clan.

Stonepaw and his brothers had never been to a Gathering before. This was an entirely new experience for them, one they'd never expected to see. Sunpaw could remember hearing Lionblaze talk about a daylight Gathering that Firestar had hosted. Apparently it had been approved by the leaders because of tension the Clans had felt one greenleaf. The daylight Gathering idea had worked, but only for a short while.

All leaders except for Leafstar were sitting on the oak that overlooked the island. The SkyClan leader looked uncomfortable with so many cats looking at her. Her own Clanmates were gathered in their own group, as if a protective shield had formed between them. Brownwhisker sat between Brindletail and Dawnwind, who were trying to calm Dawnwind's kits. It felt like any other Gathering, except that it was during the day and every cat from the Clans had been invited.

"Is everyone here?" Bramblestar asked after settling down on a branch. He'd been forced to speak up after mewls of alarm rose from the crowd. One of the kits had broken away from their mother—within heartbeats the kit was captured by a warrior from it's own Clan.

"Everyone is ready." Reedwhisker peered from the crowd of RiverClan cats sitting around him in a large circle.

Bramblestar nodded before turning to Russetstar, whose skinny frame hardly wavered as she spoke. "Cats of all Clans, it is time we reached a decision," she announced.

"We must leave now, or the Twolegs will destroy us along with our homes," Weaselstar added.

"The Moonpool is already destroyed…there is no hope for us," Mistystar put in.

Wails of alarm suddenly rose from the clustered cats. Elders stared at their leaders in disbelief, while the medicine cats were shaking their heads in horror. Apprentices from every Clan whispered to one another at the urgency of their leaders' news. Sunpaw noticed that most of the warriors had already agreed with their leaders—leaving truly was the only option. The Clans were never safe in one spot for long, especially with so many Twolegs about.

"How will we survive if there is no way to contact StarClan?" An elderly ShadowClan cat had risen to his paws, glaring at Russetstar as if the Moonpool's disappearance was her fault.

"The Moonpool was just a means of communication," Jayfeather meowed. "There are other ways." He was staring pointedly at Sunpaw, who crouched further to the ground. The last thing she wanted was the Clans to know about her visions—they were her secret alone.

"We already made one journey," a queen from RiverClan hissed. "Why must we make another? Does this mean we should have stayed in the old forest?"

"Do you want to die here?" Mistystar flashed the question back at her warrior, narrowing her eyes in the process. The queen flinched from her stare. "We must leave, or we will all die."

"Than it is decided?" Bramblestar asked. When every cat nodded in agreement—some were rather reluctant—he sighed in relief. "Very well. In two days we will leave. Prepare the queens and elders, and make sure you get plenty of rest. We will need it for the journey ahead."

Mutters quickly followed his words as the Clans broke apart once more. He jumped down his branch and was quickly joined by Leafstar and Sagefur, Leafstar's deputy. Sunpaw couldn't help but wonder if the Clans knew what was really going on. She knew that time would only tell if they would trust the words of an apprentice.

Lionblaze rounded on Jayfeather as soon as the medicine cat was joined by Echosong, who was limping heavily from the loss of weight she'd suffered. The gray tabby didn't bother meeting his brother's eyes as Lionblaze glared at him.

"What sort of mousebrained scheme were you trying to pull?" he snarled as Sunpaw came to hearing point.

"I thought it was a good idea," Jayfeather replied with a shrug.

"Those cats will challenge whoever holds the power of visions," Echosong pointed out.

"She has already suffered the loss of her brother, and those dreams…do you really think it's wise to put her in a position like that?" At that instant Sunpaw knew they were talking about her. A moment of hurt coursed through her belly when Lionblaze mentioned Flamepaw.

If he were alive, he would be jealous, she thought. He would want to know why Lionblaze and Jayfeather are talking about me all the time.

Her head hung as she thought of Flamepaw. He wouldn't be making the journey. Nor would the other cats that were buried around the lake. It was like they were leaving behind the Clans' past. Sunpaw glanced at the sky, wondering if the cats from StarClan would make the same journey. If so, than perhaps she would find Flamepaw among their ranks.

...

The rest of the day had been spent preparing for the journey. The SkyClan cats had helped ThunderClan hunt, while Echosong worked with Jayfeather to sort through the herbs that were needed for the journey. Sunpaw was surprised to see that Hollyleaf was working alongside Leafpool to help the queens comfort their kits. The black she-cat had been so defiant earlier with her mother. Now it was like they were trying to make up for lost time, ignoring the anger that they'd felt towards each other. Even Bramblestar was working with Squirrelflight, the cat that he had pushed away when the truth about her secret was out. The two looked reluctant to work together, but a faint spark of hope flared within Squirrelflight's eyes.

Sunpaw settled down beside Shrewpaw, who was busy chatting about the moves that Thornclaw had taught him. Stonepaw and Fogpaw watched him with wide eyes as he performed the back-kick move that Whitewing had taught Sunpaw. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she listened to them. Shrewpaw sounded as though it was one of the best fighting moves, when there was so much he had yet to learn.

A shadow suddenly fell upon the clearing. Sunpaw looked up to see that Bramblestar had climbed the Highledge, and was staring down at his Clanmates. The SkyClan cats that remained looked at him in surprise. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" he yowled as an uncomfortable silence fell upon the clearing.

Confusion swept over Sunpaw as she sat beside her denmates. She knew from experience that Bramblestar didn't call a Clan meeting unless it was important. She spotted Whitewing sitting beside Cinderheart, who looked like she was ready to bust with excitement. Squirrelflight and Leafpool sat together, while Hollyleaf stayed beside Brownwhisker. The dark tabby looked bewildered about what was going on until she told him.

"I know she has not passed an assessment, or even trained under six moons like a normal apprentice would, but Whitewing and Poppyfrost have told me that she is ready to become a warrior." Bramblestar stared down at Sunpaw, whose jaw had dropped by this point in shock. "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors so that they may 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." Sunpaw couldn't help but feel the presence of other cats looming in the hollow. Warriors that had earned their names and died, cats from StarClan were there to watch.

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

"I do." Sunpaw couldn't hold herself back—she knew becoming a warrior was the most important part of her journey.

"Than by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sunpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Sunstorm. StarClan honors you for your courage and devotion to the Clan, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan."

Sunstorm…the name sounds so…good. She couldn't help but think of the many trials she had to go through in order to get this far in her life. Whitewing had been a great mentor—Poppyfrost couldn't deny that she was neglecting her apprentice. Flamepaw's disappearance had marked the beginning of a new start in her life; she'd promised herself that she would become a warrior for him, one that would make the Clan proud of them.

Bramblestar jumped down from the Highledge. The crowd parted so that he could touch her forehead with his muzzle. Sunstorm braced herself for the visions that would follow—any time a cat touched her forehead she would find herself swimming in their memories, understanding what they went through in the past.

Within heartbeats she was gasping for breath as images flashed before her. She could see a pale ginger she-cat, emerging from the nursery of an old ThunderClan camp with two tiny kits behind her. A large dark brown figure had stopped in front of the queen, leaning forward and whispering words of encouragement to the kits. She could feel the horror that Bramblestar had felt when he discovered the truth about his father. The dark tabby that had been with the queen was now viewed as a murderous figure, one that every Clan feared. She could see cats that sent chills down her spine—cats that should never have been introduced to the forest.

Later on she saw images of cats journeying together, keeping close to one another as they searched for a new home. A sense of hope had filled Bramblestar when he felt important to the Clan. It was like a blanket of warmth had enveloped Sunstorm as she watched his life unfold before her. Bramblestar had gone through much in his life, and was still the same. He may have aged at a point, but he rarely changed. His love for Squirrelflight had never wavered, but the immediate sense of betrayal had changed his view on her. The trust that they'd felt at one point was destroyed when Hollyleaf revealed everything at the Gathering.

"You saw it, didn't you?" he asked after stepping back.

She'd managed to catch her breath after a few cats stared at her in concern. "You still love her…even after what she did to you," she whispered so that no cat could hear.

"I always loved her, even after what she did to…them. To the Clan. Trust is something that she must earn on her own," he whispered back.

Sunstorm's reply was a simple nod. She stared at him for a few heartbeats, suddenly aware that he was Tigerstar's son. The son of a tyrant who had threatened to rule the Clans, even in his afterlife.

"Sunstorm! Sunstorm!" The Clan chanted her name, despite the half-hazardous breaths she'd left after visiting Bramblestar's memories. Jayfeather's eyes were narrowed in concern, but he said nothing about what had happened.

She lifted her muzzle slightly, aware that they would feel even more concerned if she didn't show any pride about her ceremony. Once the cheering had died down, the Clan settled in with meals from the fresh-kill pile. Hushed whispers echoed across the hollow as Sunstorm passed her Clanmates. She spotted Cinderheart sitting beside Lionblaze, who was sharing a thrush with her at the moment. The gray tabby looked up from her eating and swallowed when her daughter approached.

"It seems like only yesterday you were still suckling in the nursery," Cinderheart murmured after brushing her muzzle against Sunstorm's.

"You make a fine warrior," Lionblaze added when he joined them.

"But what about…what about Flamepaw?" Sunstorm's heart lurched as she thought of her brother.

He should be at my side, she thought.

"Flamepaw is watching over you," Cinderheart replied. "I'm sure he is with Firestar and Sandstorm."

Is he? I haven't seen him with StarClan when I last saw them, she told herself. Firestar never mentioned him….

"Enough of this sad talk," Lionblaze suddenly growled. "You should be happy that you're finally a warrior."

"I can't help but think about him…he would be…jealous that I'm a warrior before him," she sighed. "But you're right. I am a warrior now, and I will do my best to protect this Clan," she added more enthusiastically.

Lionblaze nodded and licked her cheek before she padded towards the camp's entrance. The sun was beginning to go down by the time the warriors returned to their den. Sunstorm glanced at her former denmates, wondering if they would miss her. Shrewpaw ducked his head when she spotted him sitting beside Thornclaw, who was giving him tips about the hunter's crouch. She fought back a purr of amusement before getting ready for her vigil.

She was a warrior now. Part of her journey was completed, and another was about to begin.

AN: Ah Sunstorm…I love that name for some reason. It's overused, yet it's still my favorite. I was listening to Within Temptation while writing this chapter, so you'll have to excuse me if it's darker than usual (they're a Goth-rock band if you don't know). And Cappy's doing fine, he's just a bit uneasy with his surroundings since he's just a baby. Eventually we'll be getting an even bigger place for him to live when he gets used to being handled. Thanks WildCroconaw and tufted titmouse for reviewing! You guys get...Flamepaw plushies!