"Wake up."
Morningkit jolted awake, getting up from her moss-wrapped nest. Her round amber eyes stared at the cat who had awoken her from sleep.
Cinderheart? She thought for a moment, before realizing that her mother was dead.
Instead, the cat standing in front of her was Fallenkit.
The golden-brown tabby she-cat smiled. "Fallenkit! You're back!"
Her brother didn't respond and instead motioned towards the crowd of cats near the highledge.
"Wait… are we getting apprenticed?" Morningkit's eyes widened. She was happy, but she didn't exactly feel like the Clan was ready for hunting and battle training at the moment.
"Aren't you happy?" Fallenkit murmured. His tail dropped to the ground.
"Of course I am." She quickly replied. "I just wish that…"
"I wish that too, Morningkit. But we can't change that. We'll never see our mother again and it's my fault." His voice wavered. The black-furred tom slumped to the ground. "If I had just moved in time, he wouldn't have seen me and he wouldn't have come here. If it wasn't for me, then our mother would be alive and well."
"Don't say that!" Morningkit retorted. "It's not your fault! It's not anyone's fault!"
"I don't deserve to be an apprentice," Fallenkit whispered. He unsheathed his claws and stared at them, as if tempted to do something drastic.
"Please, Fallenkit."
Morningkit watched her brother, who was just standing there in silence. Finally, he spoke.
"Only because Darktail says so."
Darktail? Morningkit decided not to ask. Her brother was probably still in shock. Right?
"C'mon, let's go." Morningkit padded across the clearing. She glanced at where her mother's body once was. The she-cat was disappointed that it was no longer there, most likely already buried.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bramblestar's yowl echoed throughout the camp. The murmuring and whispers of the Clan stopped.
"I realize that we are all injured, but I know that new apprentices will bring joy to the camp so we can get back into the swing of things." Bramblestar continued.
Morningkit's pelt was tingling with anticipation.
"Morningkit, step forward."
The she-kit did as told.
"Morningkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Morningpaw. I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior."
Morningpaw was filled with glee. She was an apprentice! But who would her mentor be?
Bramblestar signaled with his tail towards Ivypool.
"Ivypool, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Cinderheart, and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Morningpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Morningpaw."
Ivypool padded over to Morningpaw and touched noses with her.
She couldn't believe her mentor was Ivypool!
It was now time for Fallenkit's apprenticeship.
"Fallenkit, step forward."
The tom shakenly walked forward.
"Fallenkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Fallenpaw. I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior."
Bramblestar signaled with his tail as Lionblaze stepped forward.
"Lionblaze, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Ashfur, and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Fallenpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Fallenpaw."
Lionblaze touched noses with Fallenpaw, who reluctantly did the same.
"Fallenpaw! Morningpaw!" The crowd chanted.
Morningpaw glanced over at her brother next to Lionblaze. How come he gets their father as a mentor?
At least she still had Ivypool.
"I'm so happy I got you as an apprentice," Ivypool mewed cheerfully. "Personally, I was hoping that you were the one I got."
Morningpaw broke into a purr. "I'm glad I got you as a mentor!"
Ivypool glimpsed towards Lionblaze and Fallenpaw. "When they're ready, let's set out so we can explore ThunderClan territory."
The golden-brown tabby nodded. Her whiskers were twitching with excitement. Her first time out of camp!
I wish Cinderheart was here to see this.
"Clan dismissed." Bramblestar called out to the crowd as the shouting died down. The dark brown tabby jumped down from the highledge
Fallenpaw looked up at his father as his Clanmates returned to their regular jobs, whether it be lounging around in the elder's den or tending to the wounded.
In the corner of his eye, he could see Darktail's ghostly figure next to him. He could feel their pelts brushing against each other.
When he had woken up that sunrise, he saw Darktail standing there.
"Good morning," the tom had mewled.
"How are you here?" Fallenpaw had said.
"Like I said, I will be here to guide your paw steps until you become truly happy."
Darktail then told him that he would be apprenticed that day and to wake up his sister.
"Congratulations on your apprenticeship." Darktail soothed, his black tail moving almost rhythmically behind him.
"Thank you," Fallenpaw soughed.
The apprentice cleared his throat before speaking up. "Can we go explore the territory?"
"Of course," Lionblaze meowed. The two – three, counting Darktail– walked towards Ivypool and Morningpaw.
Morningpaw looked at Fallenpaw while their mentors discussed where to head first for their tour of the territory.
"I can't believe we're apprentices!" Morningpaw gushed.
"I know. I'm so excited." Fallenpaw returned, sounding monotone.
"You… don't sound excited." His sister's tone faded from happiness to despair. "Please don't be like this, Fallenpaw. I want everything to be just the way it should've been."
"It's not going to be the way it should've been. I should've died instead of Cinderheart. I shouldn't be here."
"You shouldn't say that, Fallenpaw," Darktail insisted. "That's not how you become happy."
Maybe I don't want to be happy, Darktail.
He dug his claws into the floor. "Leave me alone, Morningpaw."
"We used to be together all the time. Why are you now distancing yourself from me?" Morningpaw cried.
"I never wanted to be with you! I hated playing with you! You never wanted to do anything that I wanted to do!" Fallenpaw snapped.
Morningpaw's eyes widened as she stared at him.
He realized what he had just said. The black-furred tom looked down at his paws.
"I… I'm going to leave. I don't deserve to be here."
Fallenpaw burst out of camp, ignoring the yowls of every cat behind him. Hopefully nobody would follow him.
He didn't have a clue where he was going. Every direction looked the same as the other. He could hear Darktail's paw steps pounding behind him.
That's not helping, Darktail.
Eventually, he came to what looked like the lake.
"So this is what the warriors always talked about," he breathed.
The lake looked nothing like what he imagined it to be. He had thought it was just a small little pond, but he was wrong. He couldn't even describe the lake… Grand, maybe? Majestic? He had no words.
He sat close to the water and sighed. Darktail came up and sat next to him.
"You're going in the wrong direction." Darktail scolded. "This is not the way to happiness. This is not the way to greatness."
"Maybe I don't want to be great or happy, Darktail." He stared at his own reflection. All he saw was a cat who isn't supposed to be here.
"Do you want to grow up cold, empty, and alone?"
Fallenpaw didn't respond.
"Do you want to grow up cold, empty, and alone?" Darktail repeated, more sharply this time.
"…No."
"Then follow my guidance. I died without being able to complete my goals. I won't let you go down that same path."
The black-furred tom waited for a few moments before asking a question. "How did you die, Darktail?"
Darktail's fur twitched angrily, as if remembering the event made him want to roar out in anger and repulsion. "My father murdered me in cold blood. I got my revenge by killing him as well."
The thought of his own father killing him petrified Fallenpaw. Lionblaze wouldn't do that, would he? He had been acting cold towards him lately. He had never done something like that before. What was he planning? He felt something crack and shatter inside of him as he realized something.
"Are you saying I have to kill Lionblaze?"
"What do you think, Fallenpaw?"