A/N: Hey guys! I'm back and with another chapter! Also, I will start a new story which is just one-shots from Flight of the Broken (and the rest of the WINGLESS trilogy), Lightningwish's Misery, Flightstar's Reign, Epidemic, Breathe, and any other major stories. The one-shots will mainly be about a certain characters feelings/ death through their eyes. I already have one nearly done and a second will relate to this chapter!
The Age of Awesomeness: thank you and I promise I will update sooner! Actually, since I have to finish my portfolio for Cardinal Carter by Saturday, which means that I will be much more open now! Hooray!
Amberstorm223: thanks!
Stream that Flows around Rock: ya, I wanted to add a part before when Foxkit and Stormkit liked her and thought of her as their sister.
Brightcloud0915: thank you and I know what you mean. Sometimes I don't want things revealed ahead or spoilers about some part.
Willowtuft: thank you.
ForeverMe19: true. Without suspense in a story, it just is dull. I love a good cliff hanger to finish a chapter with!
Windflight13: thanks a lot!
Random Rainbows (guest): maybe…
Silverstar (guest): aww thanks! It really means a lot to me that people enjoy my story!
Andrea (guest): I know. Poor little Bluekit. Hopefully I will get her over her fears… maybe.
Illuminastro: that's okay! It's not always easy to be active all the time! Thanks and hopefully Bluekit will recover…
Icefur (guest): don't worry! I will update as soon as possible!
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 37
"All cats old enough to fly, gather beneath the speaking stump for clan meeting," Birdstar's call rang out in the Wingclan clearing and Grasswing opened her eyes, yawning. Phoenixkit and Pebblekit were bouncing around the nursery, excited to become apprentices.
"It's finally time! It's finally time!" Phoenixkit purred and Pebblekit rushed over to the nursery entrance, peering out.
"Come on momma! We have to go now!" she meowed, making Snowdapple smile warmly.
"Over here you two; now listen," she replied and the two eager kits walked over to her. "Make sure you walk sensible, you will be apprentices, not kits," she reminded them, beginning to groom Phoenixkit's ginger fur.
"Mom, I can clean it myself!" she complained and Pebblekit snickered.
"Momma? Why are Phoenixkit and Pebblekit leaving?" Looking down, Grasswing saw Mosskit, who happened to be awake from all the commotion.
"Mosskit, they are going to be apprentices," Grasswing said and he looked a little sad.
"It's going to be lonely without them," he murmured and Swiftkit let out a yawn.
"Lonely without whom?" he asked, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. A yawn escaped his jaws and he gave his messy fur a shake.
"Phoenixkit and Pebblekit are becoming apprentices!" a tiny squeak sounded from Oceanmist's nest. Looking over, the brown tabby queen noticed Sootkit awake. The young tom had opened his eyes yesterday and followed the older kits around like a shadow everywhere. Since he was younger than them, he often played with Bluekit, who chose not to play battle with her littermates.
"Oh," Swiftkit said, turning to look at his sleeping sisters. "DOVEKIT! MOONKIT! BLUEKIT! CINDERKIT! WAKE UP!" Swiftkit shouted, only to earn a scold from his mother.
"Swiftkit!" Grasswing hissed at her son, upset at him for trying to wake his littermates up. Swiftkit gave an innocent smile, acting as if it wasn't him.
"W-What's going o-on?" Bluekit stammered, yawning sleepily. Her blue-grey fur was messy, sticking up here and there.
"Wait," Cinderkit began, gazing over at her six moon old denmates. "You guys are becoming apprentices!" she gasped and Pebblekit nodded.
"That means we will be apprentices in four moons," Dovekit groaned, longing to be an apprentice with her friends.
"Don't worry Dovekit; we will be training together soon! It will go by quickly!" Phoenixkit promised and Pebblekit tried to dodge her mother's tongue.
"I can clean myself! I'm fine!" she wailed and the white queen shook her head, grooming her daughter's grey fur.
"You're going to be apprentices and knowing you, Pebblekit, you will do anything but clean your fur!" Snowdapple purred and Pebblekit rolled her eyes. She opened her jaws to argue, but quickly shut them, knowing she wouldn't win this argument.
Getting up and stretching, Grasswing looked over at her kits. "I have to go now for the clan meeting. Oceanmist is watching you so be good," she said and Bluekit nudged her leg.
"M-Momma do you h-have to g-g-go? C-Can't you s-s-stay? W-What happens if s-s-something b-bad hap-p-pens?" she whispered and Grasswing looked down at her blue-grey daughter, feeling guilty. The once bouncy kit was now in pieces, a stuttering, nervous wreck.
Licking her daughter's head, she meowed soothingly, "Don't worry my sweet, you will be fine. They won't hurt. I promise." Bluekit looked at her mother, unsure before walking over to talk to Phoenixkit.
The bright light of the clearing welcomed her, the snowflakes fluttering down from the dark grey clouds. Shivering, she fluffed her pelt up as she made her way to the speaking stump. Dipping her head to Birdstar, she sat at the roots of the stump.
"As you all know, two of ours kits have reached their sixth moons and are going to become apprentices," Birdstar called out. Gazing over at the nursery, the brown tabby deputy spotted Honeyfire leading his daughters over. Both Phoenixkit's and Pebblekit's pelts were smooth and clean, gleaming in the weak rays of light peeking out through the clouds. "Phoenixkit and Pebblekit, both of you are ready to become apprentices. Pebblekit, from this day forth until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Pebblepaw. Your mentor will be Swallowtail." Swallowtail dipped her head, walking over to Birdstar.
"Swallowtail, you have shown courage and perseverance and I hope you pass it on to your apprentice," Birdstar meowed.
"I will," Swallowtail replied. The newly named Pebblepaw padded over to her mentor, touching noses.
"Phoenixkit, from this day forth until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Phoenixpaw. Your mentor shall be Grasswing," Birdstar meowed and Phoenixpaw's eyes widened. She got the deputy as her mentor!
"Grasswing, you had faced a difficult life, full of hatred and sorrow, yet you still pulled through and stayed strong. I am sure you will pass on all you know to this young cat," Birdstar said and Grasswing dipped her head, touching noses with her new apprentice, seeing how overjoyed the ginger she-cat was.
"Phoenixpaw! Pebblepaw! Phoenixpaw! Pebblepaw!" The clan cheered, Grasswing joining in on their joyful yowls. Once the cheering had died down and cats began to disperse, Phoenixpaw turned to her mentor.
"Grasswing, what are we going to do first? Go on a border patrol? Or maybe go hunting? How about battle training? Or…or…" Phoenixpaw chattered eagerly, Grasswing thinking about what to do.
"How about you go and make your nest in the apprentice den, that way when we come back, you will have somewhere to rest," Grasswing suggested and Phoenixpaw nodded, dashing over to the apprentice den. Chuckling, it was hard to believe she was once just like Phoenixpaw, ready to do anything.
"I'm worried about them," a sweet voice murmured and Grasswing turned around to see Butterflyheart. The medicine cat had her silver wings folded on her back but worry glazed her blue orbs.
"What do you mean Butterflyheart? Is something bad going to happen to them?" Grasswing pestered and Butterflyheart sighed.
"Remember Grasswing. No matter what will happen, you can't change their destiny," she whispered before walking back over to her den. Confused, Grasswing shook her head, trying to get rid of what the medicine cat had said.
What will happen to them? Grasswing wondered, looking over in the direction of the apprentice den.
Phoenixpaw followed Grasswing eagerly through the forest, watching in awe at the beautiful territory they called home. "Are we going to see the border?" Phoenixpaw asked her mentor and Grasswing nodded.
Pebblepaw was padding with her sister, pleased to finally be allowed out of camp without getting in trouble. While the two sisters began to wander a bit further, Grasswing fell back, walking beside Swallowtail. "I can tell that both of them will be great hunters," she purred and Grasswing nodded.
"Only if they learn to be a bit quieter."
Phoenixpaw and Pebblepaw raced to the border, swerving around bushes. "I'm going to beat you!" Pebblepaw yowled over her shoulder.
"No you won't!" Phoenixpaw protested, trying to keep up with her sister. The snow on the ground made it harder to move quickly and the two apprentices neared the river by the border. Phoenixpaw's eyes widened as she saw her sister getting really close to the river. "Pebblepaw! Look out!" she wailed but her sister ignored her.
"I am going to wing Phoenixpaw! I am-" the grey apprentice's words were cut off as she stumbled into the river, breaking the thin ice that had just begun to set. The cold water pulled Pebblepaw down, her head vanishing beneath the surface.
"Pebblepaw!" Phoenixpaw shrieked, leaning over to claw at the ice in hopes of saving her sister.
Grasswing and Swallowtail, hearing Phoenixpaw's cries, rushed over to the river. "What happened?" Grasswing demanded, rushing over to her apprentice's side.
"W-We were racing and I warned Pebblepaw of the river but she didn't notice. She fell in and we have to save her!" Phoenixpaw meowed franticly and Grasswing nodded, searching the water for Pebblepaw.
Noticing her not too far down the river, Grasswing broke the ice near the apprentice, reaching out to get her. Feebly, Pebblepaw managed to get her head above the surface. "H-Help," she shivered. Grasswing leaned over on the edge of the river bank, just missing Pebblepaw's scruff by a mouse-tail.
Sliding into the freezing river, she biting down on Pebblepaw's scruff. The small cat let out a whimper, Grasswing dragging out the sodden apprentice out of the frozen river. Shaking her wet fur, Grasswing placed the freezing apprentice on the ground, nudging her.
"We have to get her back to camp, now!" Swallowtail yowled, picking up Pebblepaw and running in the direction of camp. Phoenixpaw and Grasswing followed her. They sprinted into camp, dragging Pebblepaw through the snow to the medicine cat den.
Butterflyheart greeted a worried Swallowtail, dragging a limp Pebblepaw. "Lay her down on the nest and begin to lick her fur the wrong way to warm her up," Butterflyheart instructed and Swallowtail nodded, licking her apprentice's fur roughly. Phoenixpaw joined in, scared for her sister. Butterflyheart looked over at Grasswing and asked, "What happened?"
"She fell in the river. I managed to climb in and rescue h-her," Grasswing said, shivering a bit. The medicine cat stuck her head outside of the den, calling Applefrost.
The black tom walked over and once he noticed Grasswing shivering, he rushed to her side. She lay down, curling up into a ball to keep warm, Applefrost curling around her to keep his mate from freezing.
Butterflyheart joined in on warming up Pebblepaw, the cold apprentice, barely clinging onto her life. "Please Pebblepaw! Wake up! We have to be apprentices!" Phoenixpaw wailed and Pebblepaw didn't stir.
"Don't leave yet Pebblepaw. You are strong and you can pull through!" Swallowtail urged and the grey apprentice did not move nor reply. "Pebblepaw?"
Butterflyheart gazed at the apprentice sadly. "It's too late. Pebblepaw…Pebblepaw lies with Starclan now," She murmured quietly and Phoenixpaw shook her head.
"NO!" She wailed, shaking her sister's dead body. "No! Please wake up!" Swallowtail hung her head, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Please wake up Pebblepaw!" Phoenixpaw buried her nose into her sister's cold fur, tears streaming down her face.
Guilt welled up in Grasswing and watched as Pebblepaw's limp body was rubbed with herbs, masking the scent of death. Then, once Butterflyheart was done, she brought the small apprentice's body out into the camp clearing and Grasswing cringed as Snowdapple's mournful yowls were heard.
Why Starclan? Why do you do this to her? Grasswing thought, burying her face deep into her mate's dark fur.
Snowdapple rushed to her daughter's side, Honeyfire right behind her. "P-Pebblepaw?" she cried weakly, nuzzling her daughter's cold pelt. "Please Starclan! Don't take my daughter!" she wailed, Honeyfire, drawing Snowdapple close. "She was way too young to join your ranks! Why her?" Tears streamed down both of their faces and rushed over to her mother's side.
The ginger apprentice squeezed her way between her parents, sobbing into her mother's fur. Snowdapple tried to comfort her daughter but tears were flowing down her cheeks fast and she felt broken. Honeyfire licked his mate's head soothingly, eyes damp with tears. Birdstar walked outside, sorrow filled in her green orbs.
"All cats old enough to fly, gather beneath speaking stump for clan meeting," she called out, hopping onto the old stump. Any cats who hadn't left their nest from the wails and commotion outside, gathered near Birdstar, whispering amongst them. Taking a deep breath, the leader sighed. "As you might not all know, Pebblepaw has joined Starclan," she begun and gasps filled the clearing.
"W-What happened?" Leafdance cried and Birdstar swallowed.
"She went on a tour of the territory with her mentor, Phoenixpaw and Grasswing. The two apprentices had been racing to the river, only for Pebblepaw to tumble in."
Pebblefall gazed over at her brother, padding towards him. "I'm so sorry," she murmured.
"She had broken the thin ice on the river and die from the cold, Grasswing managing to help pull her out. Pebblepaw, you were a kind and gentle cat who did not deserve to die so soon," Birdstar finished and cats began to dip their hands in respect for their young, fallen clanmate.
"I love you Pebblepaw. I will make you proud," Phoenixpaw whispered, promising her sister.
"Thank you." Pebblepaw whispered in Phoenixpaw's ear. "Take care sister."
A/N: Hey guys! So sorry for the longish wait! I have been sick and trying my best to type this whenever I have time. Hopefully, I can put another chapter up soon! Also, what do you think about Pebblepaw's death? I warned you guys that it was going to be a slightly tragic chapter. Also, it's almost Halloween! Hooray! I hope you guys liked this chapter and see you guys soon!
-Grasswing.