A/N: Here you go!

Chapter Eleven

Sparrowpaw hadn't realized how distant she was being with her Clan after her brother's a month before, until it was suddenly time for her Warrior Ceremony, and she only found out when she arrived, that two new litters had been born. Spring had all but snuck up on them all, and, in the setting sun, the green grass looked nearly orange. Blacktail was sitting proudly beside Robinheart; the two queens were purring proudly over their new litter while WhisperStar looked over them all with an approving eye.

"This night we celebrate not only two new litters into our Clan, who will no doubt grow to be strong Warriors, but we celebrate one young Apprentice becoming a proud MeadowClan Warrior," he declared hoarsely, and the Clan yowled their joy, while Nightfur and Grassrunner bumped and rubbed their shoulders against Sparrowpaw, who could only raise her whiskers in amused pleasure, looking up at her Leader in patient silence. WhisperStar lifted his tail, and dropped it forward sharply, a cutting gesture that made the gathered cats quiet down quickly.

"Before our Apprentice can be named, however, we must celebrate the naming of our newest Clanmates," he declared. "Blacktail, your litter was born early this morning, before the sun began to rise. As such, step forward, and name your kits before the Clan and StarClan." The calico queen obeyed, stepping forward with the firstborn kit hanging blindly from her jaws, while Windclaw and Palestripe assisted carrying the other two. Gently, the three climbed up onto the short stump, and sat the mewling, shivering bundles down, all but the firstborn, who continued to hang silently in the queen's mouth. The kit was gray, with a black stripe down its back, hits tiny face scrunched up in confusion as it hung there.

"I give you Mosskit, daughter of Blacktail and Windclaw," the calico declared, before she sat the kit down with her siblings. Instantly, the Clan yowled and meowed their greetings, and, beside the calico, Windclaw lifted his chin with pride. Blacktail turned and picked up the second kit, a brown and black splotched kit, which was bigger than Mosskit.

"I give you Barkkit, son of Blacktail and Windclaw," the calico introduced, and the Clan once more raised their voices in greeting, even as she set the tom down and lifted his youngest sibling, a black kit with golden colored paws, and a splotch of gold over the right side of it's small face, who mewled unhappily as it swung from it's mothers gently hold.

"And, finally, I give you Rainkit, daughter of Blacktail and Windclaw," Blacktail announced, and the Clan raised their voices once more, as the three cats lifted their fragile burdens, and leaped from the short stump, baring the newly welcomed and named kits back to the Nursery, where Blacktail would remain with them.

"May StarClan watch over and guide them," WhisperStar declared, before nodding his head patiently while the Clan re-settled. Sparrowpaw wondered, briefly, what it would be like, to have kits, before pushing the thought away with a twitch of her ear, for later consideration. "Robinheart, your litter was born at Sunhigh. Step forward, and name your kits before the Clan and StarClan," the white tom ordered calmly; instantly, the tabby queen obeyed, carrying her firstborn up onto the stump, while Nightfur left Sparrowpaw's side and followed with the second kit. Robinheart stood proud on the short stump, and lifted the brown tabby kit in her jaws high, while Nightfur set his burden down carefully.

"I give you Snailkit, son of Robinheart and Nightfur," the queen declared, and Sparrowpaw's ears twitched sharply in surprise that her friend had sired a litter, but she did not hesitate in greeting the tiny kit along with the rest of her Clan. This surprise merely proved that she had been far too distant in her mourning, and she silently promised herself to reconcile with Nightfur, and the others, on the matter. Robinheart gently set her little tom down, and lifted his sibling high, the kit's fluffy black fur matching that of its sire perfectly.

"I give you Quailkit, daughter of Robinheart and Nightfur," the tabby queen announced, and, again, a cacophony of greetings rose, before Robinheart and Nightfur carried their two kits back to the Nursery, where Robinheart would remain, while the black tom returned to Sparrowpaw's side, purring proudly when the young tabby queen bumped her head to his shoulder in congratulations.

"May StarClan watch over and guide them," WhisperStar announced seriously, and the Clan once more quieted. "Now, with our kits newly named and welcomed, it is time for us to welcome our newest Warrior," he declared; Sparrowpaw stood. "Come forward, Sparrowpaw." Silently, Sparrowpaw obeyed, slipping through the Clan and leaping up onto the short stump, to sit and lift her head, staring out at her Clanmates with sharp, calm gray eyes, whiskers lifted attentively.

"Sparrowpaw has spent ten moons training under Palestripe," WhisperStar announced calmly, seriously. "Longer than most Apprentices spend with their Mentors. This is not due to any fault of her own, but merely to do with circumstance. During these past ten months, we have seen her grow into a fine young Warrior. We have seen her many virtues. Loyal, even in the face of adversity. Dedicated, even in the face of distasteful duty. Strength, both in character and heart, even when dealing with the death of her sibling. She has proved, time and again, that she will die for her Clan and, in proving such, she has more than earned her Warrior Name." The Clan yowled their agreement, and Sparrowpaw did not hesitate in bowing her head in thanks to the cries and support of these cats, whose lives she would gladly give her own to protect.

"Tonight, our new Warrior will hold Vigil," WhisperStar announced, and the Clan obediently silenced once more. "She will guard our sleep, our newly born kits, and the entirety of MeadowClan, with only StarClan as company. Tonight, we honor her, and place our lives and the lives of our future kits, in her paws." The Leader turned to her, and she looked up at him with a quiet patience as he stared into her eyes calmly. "May StarClan guide you, and may your life be long and filled with many kits," he told her solemnly, before turning to once more face the Clan, his yellow eyes glowing in the dying rays of sunset.

"We welcome you, Sparrowwing!" He declared; the Clan's voices rose, clear in the rising night, and the newly named Sparrowwing leapt from her perch to join them, rubbing her scent into her Clanmates fur, and getting their rubbed into her own, breathing in the thick scent of Clan, of Home, even as WhisperStar dismissed the meeting with his usual prayer.

"Well done," Nightfur breathed against her shoulder; Sparrowwing could not help her purr as she returned the praise.

"Well done to you and your litter," she told him, and lifted her whiskers in pleased amusement as her friend fluffed up with pride, before the newly made Warrior turned to find her old Mentor at her side, his gold eyes warm and proud, and the two touched noses affectionately.

"Sparrowwing," he purred, tail flicking to touch her own. "It is a rather nice name, don't you think?" he asked her; Sparrowwing purred and bumped her head against his shoulder.

"I'll have to keep it that way, hmm?" she replied, before Foxtail began to herd the cats back towards their dens.

Soon, Sparrowwing found herself alone in the night, silently pacing around the edge of the Camp, ears perked and mouth open to catch what scents she could. As the moon rose steadily higher, the night deepening, she found herself reminded anew of the lack of her brother's presence at her side. We would have been named together, she thought, and her ears pinned back briefly, before she firmly shook her head, refocusing and scolding herself. She must put such thoughts aside, especially during her Vigil, when a moment of inattention could mean the life of a Clanmate.

"You worry too much, Sparrowwing," A faint whisper told her, and the tabby queen spun around, gray eyes wide and fur standing on end, a growl in her throat, but she fell still as she saw what, who, stood behind her.

Sunflare stood glowing in the darkness, his coat made of shining stars and paws made of wisps of shimmering fog, as if he would turn to smoke if he touched the ground. His whiskers were lifted in amusement as he stared at Sparrowwing, who could barely breath from the shock of seeing him.

"…Sunflare?" She asked softly, not wishing to either wake a Clanmate or dispel whatever had brought her brothers spirit to her. The StarClan tom chuckled softly, and stepped up to her side, looking down at her, as he begun to do a month or so before his death as he grew taller.

"The one and only," he told her. "Why am I here, you wonder, yes?" Silently, she nodded, turning as he began to walk, so that she would remain at his side. "Well, I couldn't miss my own Vigil, now, could I?" With that, the StarClan Warrior fell silent, and something peaceful surrounded them as they walked together, as they would have had he lived. When the sun began to rise, and Sunflare began to fade, they touched noses in farewell.

"Mother sends her love and wants you to know how proud she is of you, of both of us," his whispering voice murmured to her. "I want you to know that, despite the pain that lies in the future; your path is firmly set. We believe in you, and love you…" He paused, and looked away; Sparrowwing followed his gaze, to find Rainstorm sitting silently upon his star-gazing boulder, his gold eyes locked on them with patient understanding. Sunflare turned back to her, his body beginning to fade away as the sun continued its steady rise.

"Don't join us too soon, alright, big sister?" he told her, teasingly, before he turned and began to walk away, lifting into the air itself before, with a last twinkle of shimmering stars, he disappeared, returning to StarClan, where he now belonged. Sparrowwing closed her eyes briefly, before turning to face the MeadowClan Medicine Cat, making her way towards him and up onto his boulder. Silently, she sat beside him, and they watched the sun rise as her Clanmates began to stir.

"Be careful, Sparrowwing," the black tom told her calmly, voice bland as his eyes remained looking up, seeing something she couldn't. "The words of StarClan, no matter how soothing, can only be heard by those who have something great before them. This does not mean it is happiness, know that." Finally, he looked at her, before touching his nose to her shoulder, and leaping from his perch. Ears perked, Sparrowwing stared after him as he slipped into the Nursery to check on the new litters, before she turned her eyes up to the sky, and wondered what her future held.

A/N: Whoot, enjoy, short I know but meh, here.

TIMELINE

Sparrowkit becomes Sparrowpaw = May

Sparrowpaw becomes Sparrowwing = February