Chapter 4

"It's them. They've come at last."

Tiki stared up at the massive tom uttering those words. She was confused beyond belief; weren't these cats just gearing up to kill them, or something? This... Sparkstar was clearly the leader of the group, and he was just letting them be there? Something didn't add up in this situation.

Tiki watched, befuddled, as he locked Taika in a staring contest. Taika gulped, and Tiki knew instinctively that he was confused, too. His evident fear had drained away a little since Sparkstar's aggressive demeanor had disappeared to be replaced by his current awestruck expression, but Taika's bewilderment had increased tenfold, just as Tiki's had. What was going on here?

"Sparkstar?" A hesitant voice came from behind Tiki, and she turned slightly to look at the cat who had spoken. A ginger tortoiseshell she-cat had emerged from the crowd, her long fluffy tail twitching behind her. Green eyes flashed with uncertainty as she stepped forward, a few feet away from Tiki.

As if physically roused, Sparkstar's expression morphed into a steady one, neutral and not giving anything away. "Right. Thank you, Autumnleaf. I appear to have lost myself for a moment." He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter, towering over Tiki and Taika easily. "Now. Explain to me what you were doing in the Deep Field."

"Deep Field…?" Taika asked hesitantly, taking the proverbial microphone. "I-I'm afraid I don't know what that is, sir."

Sparkstar flicked his tail exasperatedly. "We own territory encompassing the entire neighborhood you likely hail from. Clearly, we can't control humans who have housecats, so the area from the East Line to the Outer Boundary is less guarded. That's the Open Sector. Internal of the East Line is the Deep Field, and we don't take well to trespassers there." Sparkstar leaped down from the platform, causing Tiki to shrink back. "So I'll ask you again. What were you doing in the Deep Field?"

Taika stepped forward bravely. "I came looking for a group of cats that I scented." Tiki saw two cats step forward aggressively; a brilliant orange tom with black markings and a white she-cat with gray spots. "And… it looks like I found you…" Taika trailed off, his eyes widening in fear as he looked the two cats over.

"Pouncenight, Skyfeather, stand down," Sparkstar commanded. The two cats reluctantly acquiesced, sitting down passively. "I have no reason to believe either of these cats has malicious intent." He looked Taika over with the air of a scanner, and the cream and brown tom puffed his chest out. Then Sparkstar's eyes were on Tiki, who nervously twitched her ear. She was pleasantly surprised, then, when the tom offered her a slight smile, eyes glinting with warmth.

"We've had a hard few months," Sparkstar said suddenly, jumping back up to his perch on the tree again. He looked out over the cats behind Tiki and Taika, his gaze filled with sorrow. Tiki furrowed her brow, thinking. She'd thought there were a ton of cats when she first walked into the camp, but now that she paid attention, they were all worn, battle-scarred, and tired.

"Ever since last year's autumn, we've been in a war with all the other Clans," Sparkstar explained, looking down at Tiki and her brother. "The Clan is tired. We are all going to perish soon." Tiki looked at Taika, questions in her gaze. Where is he going with this?

"Tiki and Taika," Sparkstar said suddenly. Tiki's attention snapped back to him, fear in her eyes yet again. "TreeClan would like it very much if you were to join us as apprentices, training to become warriors." Tiki stepped back in shock, but could only go so far before she was paralyzed by it.

"What?" she whispered. Tiki looked over at Taika, trying to see his reaction to these forest cats' desire to have them in what seemed to be a giant fight club. Judging by his wide grin and excited eyes, Taika was accepting the offer. Crap. Crap, no! Tiki panted in terror. This was not what she had wanted when she agreed to go with her brother. She figured that there weren't cats out here, but that Taika would try his absolute hardest to find them—something that would put him in danger. Taika needed a level head. But she was wrong, and now she was paying the price for her disbelief.

"Uh… absolutely!" Taika said proudly, puffing out his chest. Tiki closed her eyes in exasperation. Typical Taika, ignoring her frantic, silent 'no's.

"Splendid," Sparkstar said, seemingly pleased. "Then I welcome you, Tiki and Taika, to TreeClan as Tikipaw and Taikapaw, apprentices."

"This is ridiculous," Tiki snorted, rather loudly. She internally refused to call herself 'Tikipaw', because that was ridiculous, and she wasn't joining this stupid freaking cult or whatever the hell it was. "I'm not joining TreeClan." Sparkstar's smile faltered.

"Tikipaw—" Taika started, walking over to her, but he was interrupted as she continued.

"Look at these cats, Taika! How many of them do you see without a scar on them, huh? That one, and maybe that one, and that's because they look young. Do you want to get killed?" Tiki's voice cracked, and she glared at Taika. "And don't call me Tikipaw, I'm not doing freaking anything."

Taika closed his eyes as Tiki glared daggers into his skull. "Listen, Tiki. I get it. But you told me earlier that you would be with me until the end of the world, and I'm imagining that if I asked, you'd stand by me as it went up in flames. Tiki," Taika pleaded, "this is ourone chance to be free. We belong out here. Don't you understand that? And I know that you're missing our family, and you're probably hurting, but look around. These cats, if we join, will become our family." Taika leveled a stare at the stoic crowd. "I know it for a fact."

Tiki lowered her ears, suddenly cowed. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes, and she hurriedly wiped them away with a paw. "I—" She sighed. "I'm not going to pretend to agree with you. I don't belong out here, I never will. But… you're right. You're my brother. I will stand by you, no matter what." Tiki stood up, tall and proud, and looked up at Sparkstar, whose gaze was lit with hope.

"I will join TreeClan as Tikipaw," she announced, her voice ringing around the clearing.

Sparkstar's expression broke with relief, and he stood up, leaping down from his platform. He approached the two siblings, who stood side by side. Sparkstar looked proudly at them, and Tiki, though confused as his compassion, felt a blazing fire of warmth deep within her. She looked at Taika, whose gaze shone with light. Tiki turned back to Sparkstar, her gaze on his amber eyes.

"Tiki and Taika," Sparkstar said suddenly. The crowd simultaneously turned to the ceremony in the clearing spot as if in sync with one another. "You join us today as apprentices. You come from a different world than us, but you show nobility, loyalty, and courage, and it is with great pleasure that we welcome you to our ranks. From this day on, until you both receive your warrior names, you will be known as Tikipaw and Taikapaw." Sparkstar beckoned the gray-spotted white she-cat from earlier—Skyfeather, Tikipaw realized—and a striped dark gray-brown tom from the crowd.

"Tikipaw, your mentor will be Skyfeather. I hope she will pass down all she knows to you. Skyfeather," Sparkstar continued, turning to the she-cat, "you are ready to once more take on an apprentice. You have taught well in the past, and you are a kind, loyal, and intelligent she-cat. You will be the mentor of Tikipaw."

Skyfeather approached her, nothing but warmth in her eyes, compared to her earlier hostility. "Hi there, Tikipaw. I can't wait to train you. You seem awesome." Without another word, Skyfeather touched her nose to Tikipaw's, and the crowd cheered.

"Tikipaw! Tikipaw!"

Then, Sparkstar turned to Taikapaw, who gulped. "Taikapaw, your mentor will be Stonewing. I hope he will pass down all he knows to you. Stonewing, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You are a strong, smart, and skilled tom. You will be the mentor of Taikapaw."

Without hesitation, Stonewing pushed his nose against Taikapaw's, but Tikipaw noted that it was with some disdain. She filed that information away for later as the crowd cheered, "Taikapaw! Taikapaw!"

Tikipaw and Taikapaw turned to face the crowd, and Sparkstar yowled from next to them, "TreeClan, I present to you our newest apprentices—Tikipaw and Taikapaw!"