Snowleaf of the future checking in. I'm remastering all the chapters to make them all at least 20% cooler. Woah, the me from a year ago was really depressing and had some awful author's notes here before I rewrote it. Hahaha!

And the neat fact of the week is: The cheetah is the only cat that does not have retractable claws.

"Kits! Stop playing with the medicine cat's fur. When he wakes up he'll shred all of you."

Jayfeather felt something sharp prodding his pelt, waking him from his dreams. He yelped, leaping to his paws and rubbed the spot where it hurt. To his surprise, he felt a long feather sticking in his fur and he pulled it out. With a hiss of annoyance he twisted around, scattering the kits that were surrounding him, and pulled out half a dozen more feathers with his teeth.

He hadn't meant to fall asleep away from his den, but the night had been so pleasant and the herb smells so not, that he had ventured out to lay down under the bracken cove by the fresh-kill pile where the elders would sometimes nap when it was hot.

His ears pricked, detecting the patter of small pawsteps creeping towards him. He spun around and pounced on the naughty kit that had gotten too close. The kit squealed in his grasp and he recognized the scent of Lilykit- the oldest of the kits in the nursery. "What do you have to say for yourself?" he growled in mock fury, flicking his ear to Brightheart who was standing a little ways away so she knew he wasn't actually mad. Her amused look warmed his pelt.

"Um, um, s- sorry Jayfeather, w- we were just playing around when one of the warriors brought a bluejay to the fresh kill pile. We thought you would look nice with some of its feathers."

Jayfeather released the kit with a disgruntled snort and listened to her and Brightheart's kits' paws scurry away towards the queen who was watching by the nursery. He couldn't be angry with them, at least not for long. Over the past few moons his role as a medicine cat had expanded to include entertaining the kits. Ever since the prophecy had been fulfilled, he found himself wandering through the camp more often- just thinking. Thinking about the Tribe of Rushing Water, his ventures in the tunnels under the Clans, his visits to ShadowClan when Sol had corrupted Blackstar- all of those things had seemed so much more worthwhile compared to his life now. Was he really supposed to just accept the meaning for the rest of his life was to be an ordinary medicine cat?

"Do you think Jayfeather liked the feathers?" Lilykit asked Brightheart, her mew high pitched with excitement.

"He didn't rip you up into little pieces," Dewkit added simply, barely able to keep a steady mew as his littermates bounced around him. "That must mean he liked them."

"Then we should get him feathers every day!" Snowkit cheered.

Brightheart purred. "You came back to me intact so he must not of hated it too much. And it's a good thing he didn't because you need to look your best for your apprentice ceremony this morning."

Jayfeather felt the queen's apologetic gaze, but he blinked in understanding. He couldn't blame the kits, especially not Lilykit who had turned into a fine leader of the younger ones ever since her sister Seedkit passed away. He hadn't realized her apprenticeship was today. Even though he knew she wasn't going to be a medicine cat's apprentice, he was still proud of how far she had come without her mother or sister.

He shook his pelt to knock off the dust. I'm still never going to sleep in the camp clearing again. As he padded back towards his den he felt the looks of the warriors who were staring from the fresh-kill pile. Berrynose was among them and he snorted with amusement as the medicine cat passed.

"Wow, Jayfeather, you have gotten soft."

"You know, Berrynose," Jayfeather replied coldly, not even turning his head to look at the older warrior as he passed. "It would be a real shame if your ears were accidentally bitten off during your sleep- I think I would be to soft to heal you."

Berrynose quickly went silent, and Jayfeather happily strutted the rest of the way to his den. As soon as he slipped inside, a massive yawn overcame him and he struggled to snap his jaws shut.

"Welcome back, Jayfeather," mewed Briarlight. It sounded like she hadn't left her nest yet. "If you are still tired, I can do the morning chores. I know where the herbs go."

He shook his head, forcing down another yawn as it tried to escape his lips. "I'm not tired- just exhausted. Besides, you are one of my morning chores." He sniffed out the moss-ball which he had left by the back wall of the den and flicked it with his claws in her direction.

There was a grunt of effort followed by a crunch of bracken. "Caught it!"

Jayfeather purred. "Nice work. Now toss it back."

The moss-ball flew through the air again and Jayfeather felt a slight thrill of exhilaration as he focused on it with his ears. It whirred past him but not before he shot a paw out and hooked it in his claws. Satisfied, he chucked it back in the she-cat's direction. He remembered playing a similar game with his littermates back when he was still a kit. They had been using a dead mouse then, but this wasn't just a game. Briarlight needed to keep up her strength in her shoulders and forepaws so her chest would stay clear when the next leaf-bare came around. She had lost the use of her hind legs when a tree had fallen on her so keeping her front paws strong and her chest clear was crucial.

"There's a feather in your fur."

Jayfeather dropped the moss-ball from his jaws. "Where?" he growled, sniffing through his pelt again. "Dumb kits thought they were being cute messing with my pelt this morning."

"In your ruff on the left side- your other left."

Jayfeather brushed his forepaw against his neck-fur until the stubby feather caught in his claws and he tugged it out. "I must have missed it when I was searching earlier. Thanks for noticing, I would have looked like a mouse-brain." He dropped the tiny feather on the ground. "Remind me never to sleep anywhere but in my den from now on."

Briarlight chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you secretly enjoyed playing with the kits."

"No way!" he lied, tossing the moss-ball so hard it bounced off the top of the den and ricocheted off in the direction of the herb stocks. "I only interact with the kits so they learn to fear me and don't bother me when they get older."

Briarlight heaved herself after the stray moss-ball. "Sure, Jayfeather," she cooed sarcastically. "Cause they sounded absolutely terrified this morning while they were stuffing your pelt full of feathers."

Jayfeather only snorted in response.

They tossed the moss-ball back and forth for a good portion of the morning. Jayfeather only stopped and put the ball down once Briarlight started to pant from the strain.

"No, we can keep going," she meowed hastily, her mew shaky from all the training. "I'm only getting warmed up!"

"We can continue your exercises later, but Lilykit's apprentice ceremony is about to start," he meowed, his ears angled towards the entrance of the den. "I can hear Bramblestar climbing up onto the high-ledge."

"Her apprenticeship is today? I completely forgot. She always kept me on my toes helping me with my exercises, she's grown up so fast-"

"-Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here for a Clan meeting!"

Jayfeather helped the she-cat out of her nest with a nudge from his shoulder. "Then you better move your paws if you want to get a good spot in the clearing to watch from. One of these days the Clan will stop shuffling out of the way to make room for you." He slid under the brambles and padded out of the den and into the warm camp clearing.

The familiar sound of fur on dirt indicated Briarlight was dragging herself after him. "You don't mean that, Jayfeather. The Clan will always make room for me." She barely had to duck to slip underneath the brambles that lined the den entrance. "If the grumpiest cat in all the Clans can make room for me every single day, it should be a breeze squeezing to the front for the best view."

Jayfeather let out a warm purr. "As long as you can convince Brightheart's kits to move aside; they always like to be in the very front whenever a meeting is called. But you're right, I'll keep making room for you as long as you stay in my den." He lowered his mew to a whisper so only she could hear. "You're the only cat I would make room for."

"Only because you have to," Briarlight laughed back.

Out in the camp clearing, Jayfeather breathed in the rich new-leaf air. The sun had risen higher into the sky since that morning; he could feel its warmth hot on his back. There were still a few leftover snowdrifts in the camp; mostly in the shadows where the sunlight never reached them. He had encouraged the kits to play in the piles of snow- not because he wanted to hear their screams of joy as they rolled in it, but because he knew they would scatter it and cause it to melt faster. He hated the cold.

Most of the Clan was already gathered around the high-ledge when he and Briarlight joined them. As he had predicted it sounded like Brightheart's kits had already found a spot near the front of the group. He could hear the queen's assertive mew telling them to stay out of trouble.

Bramblestar cleared his throat from the high-ledge and Jayfeather sat down between Spiderleg and Birchfall and cast his blind gaze up towards his leader.

"Today is a very proud day for these three cats who have chosen to move to the elders den after many moons of service to ThunderClan," Bramblestar began solemnly.

Jayfeather hadn't noticed until then, but he suddenly realized that Sandstorm, Graystripe, and Millie were standing at the base of the rocky ledge.

"Graystripe was deputy before me, and he and Sandstorm trained as apprentices alongside Firestar. Millie too has requested to join her mate in the elder's den and she has earned it many times over, proving she is a warrior as much as any cat even though she wasn't born into our traditions." Bramblestar paused to let his words sink in. "I know these three cats will continue to be a source of wisdom and strength in the moons to come. And even though he isn't with us anymore, I know Dustpelt would also have joined his friends in the elder's den had he not been taken away from us last moon."

Jayfeather bowed his head in mourning. He had known the three senior warriors would be retiring soon, but it still pained him to think about them moving in with Purdy after how long they had been warriors. They were practically legends like Firestar. And it was unfortunate that Dustpelt couldn't have been with them but he had been claimed by sickness in the coldest part of leaf-bare.

"Sandstorm! Graystripe! Millie!" cheered the Clan and Jayfeather quickly added his own voice to the chant. The Clan was changing like the seasons and it seemed Firestar's generation was turning over for fresh ThunderClan blood to take their place. He would miss the old cats but he reminded himself that they weren't actually going anywhere. They would live many more happy moons in the elder's den telling stories and guiding the Clan through the harshest seasons.

As the cats quieted down and the newly appointed elders found seats among their Clanmates, Bramblestar cleared his throat for silence. "On a happier note, Lilykit please step forward."

Jayfeather could feel the young cat's pride as she padded forward, but also her grief that she couldn't have been made an apprentice with her sister. There was a patter of small paws as the senior kit padded forward until she stood beneath the leader's ledge. The three younger kits stayed back with their mother, watching with intense admiration.

"This young cat has reached her sixth moon!" Bramblestar announced proudly. "From now on, until she receives her warrior names, she will be known as Lilypaw! I wish I could be giving Seedkit her apprentice name too, but I know young Lilypaw will train doubly hard in her sister's honor. Poppyfrost, come forward please."

Jayfeather could sense the young warrior's surprise as she stepped forward to stand beside the new apprentice. Obviously Bramblestar hadn't warned her before the meeting.

"Poppyfrost, you also know the pain of losing a sister, and I know you will be a source of wisdom and comfort to young Lilypaw as you train her into a great warrior. " There was a pause when the two cats would touch noses before the Clan leader went on. "Welcome Lilypaw and good luck as you travel the path of a warrior!"

"Lilypaw! Lilypaw!"

Jayfeather sighed inwardly as the cats around him cheered the newly made apprentice's name, only adding his own voice after a short pause. So much change was happening around him, but he was still the same boring medicine cat. Was it really his destiny to watch the lives flicker in and out around him while he grew old? Wasn't there something- anything else that he could do before he died? He closed his eyes and padded back towards his den with his head bowed.

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