A/N: im thinkin of keepin one chapter per week schedule, how does that sound? oh and i should mention, i am planning to incorporate lgbt and neurodivergent characters so look forward to that nya


Dawnkit squinted at the brightness that suddenly enveloped her vision, and could still make it out behind her eyelids when she closed them. Sticking out a foot, she squirmed to find her mother or her brothers. It was all warm around her, but her paw didn't bump into any soft mounds. Distress bubbled up and she tried opening her eyes again, now able to blink away the sting and actually see her surroundings.

The nursery was strangely empty save for Russetfern, who was curled around her bloated belly, and Sparrowsong, her small form tucked into a corner, dark brown flank gently rising and falling in signs of sleeping. Where were her kits? They were practically Dawnkit's siblings. She quickly pieced two and two together though and deduced that Sparrowsong's kits and her brothers were in the alcove, being watched over by her mother.

The pale, faint sunshine felt lovely on her thin fur, enough to give her shivers all over as she stepped out from the nursery. Immediately, her nose and ears began to twitch. Too many scents and colors and sounds. She preferred the darkness, warm and heavy with the sweet smell of milk. Dawnkit shook herself. That was no way for a soon to be apprentice to think, she had to be positive! Adventurous! Flexible!

Everything she wasn't and her brothers were.

Intrusive thoughts like that came by often nowadays, and while she wasn't used to them, she knew there was no ground to them. She was just as good as everyone else, right? Right, nodding to herself.

"Ah, Dawnkit?" a voice piped up, smooth and soft and deep and pleasing to her ears. Father was up as well.

She twisted around and saw the smiling face of Reedheart, his eyes warm with affection as he watched her toddle up to him. He leaned down and touched his nose to her forehead – "Good morning, love" – then nudged her forward. "Your mother is watching the little ones in the small clearing. Be nice to everyone, alright, love?" Dawnkit giggled and rubbed against her father's legs, humming her confirmation before taking off. He was just the best, wasn't he?

Sure enough, her mother stood tall at the edge of the small clearing that branched off the bigger one, her dark fur allowing her blend easily into the shadows even while her pale eyes stayed ever so vigilant. When Dawnkit stepped into the ring of the smooth, moist ground, Thistleshade's eyes flickered as they swept over her. A brief, unexplainable panic took hold of Dawnpaw as her mother stared at her, then sagged in relief when the dark-furred warrior returned to keeping watch.

Lionkit and Sootkit, Dawnkit's brothers, wrestled with strange ease, as if they have been practicing or taught the moves. Whatever it was, they were fascinating to watch. Sootkit bit down on Lionkit's scruff and rolled over; with his teeth fastened tightly, he rolled onto his back and reeled back before sending Lionkit skidding away with a powerful kick. Lionkit twisted with the momentum and landed safely on his paws, crouched and ready for more. Dawnkit could barely contain her impressed squeal.

Her brothers were amazing!

She noticed Sparrowsong's kits attempting to copy her brothers off in the other corner of the alcove, and failing quite amusingly. Nightkit tried to haul Dustkit up by her scruff but the mottled kit's paws barely left the ground when her black-furred sister rolled onto her back, and then they both crashed into their brother, who had been watching them closely at their side. Blackkit wasn't really one for fighting, or maybe he just didn't want to face against his sisters. It didn't really matter to Dawnkit either way; he still smiled at her when she passed even if he was pinned by two very squirmy siblings, and that's all that she needed to soothe the insistent ache in her chest when he sheepishly look to Thistleshade for assistance.

Dawnkit looked to her mother as well. She took the sign easily enough and went to ease Nightkit and Dustkit off of their brother, who thanked her breathlessly. When Thistleshade padded back to her spot, she brushed against Dawnkit and murmured a quiet greeting. The young she-cat felt a swell of joy. Her mother barely even kept close contact on good days, she must be in a good mood!

Her happiness rocketed up even more when Thistleshade gestured to the space next to her and looked up at her daughter. Dawnkit did a little excited hop and plopped down next to her, grinning widely when Thistleshade curled her tail around her.

"What's the occasion, mother?" she prompted, gazing up at her. Thistleshade twitched an ear and glanced down at her tiny and only daughter. "It's your ceremony today. Your brothers are practicing some moves they saw your father demonstrate. You'll be out of the nursery and out in the world like I am, might as well let you get some softness from me while you still can."

Dawnkit blinked. That was the most she has ever heard from her mother in one sitting. When her words finally settled in, though, a warm feeling flooded her from whiskers to tail then sparked like flames. "I'm becoming an apprentice? Finally?" she pushed, already knowing the answer but StarClan did she want to hear it again.

Thistleshade cracked a half smile, exciting Dawnkit even further. "Yes."

"When?" she pushed again, shifting her paws excessively while her mother glanced up at the sky. The sun had nearly reached its peak, shining between the thick knots of trees that safely surrounded the camp, where it was otherwise guarded by deep, murky waters.

Her mother rose up and flexed her shoulders, grunting softly as they cracked. "About now, it seems." She gazed over at her wrestling sons. "Lion, Soot, now." The two seized their fighting immediately, apparently been waiting for their mother's signal. Their fur was muddy and stuck up in places where they rubbed the ground or each other the wrong way. Compared to Dawnkit's slightly sleep-roused pelt, they looked to be messes. Despite this, their eyes shined with confidence and childish excitement.

Lionpaw lumbered over to Thistleshade, leaning into her touch when she began swiping at the chaos of his thick golden fur with her tongue. Sootpaw, not much for waiting in this type of situation, twisted around awkwardly in an attempt to arrange his own eyesore of a pelt. Dawnkit laughed and went over to assist her dark-furred brother. He touched his nose to her ear in gratefulness, and even flattened a patch of untamed fur on her shoulder she hadn't noticed.

It didn't take too long for her brothers to bear smooth, mud-slickened fur, and once they confirmed ready – Sootkit tried to hide his grin by ducking his head while Lionkit kept shoulder-checking Dawnkit in his boundless excitement – Thistleshade led them and Sparrowsong's kits to the main clearing. She nudged the younger kittens towards the nursery, telling them that they had to watch from there. Dustkit huffed in annoyance and even Blackkit look displeased, but Nightkit shoved her siblings forward, shouting, "C'mon! We gotta listen to warriors," as she went. Dawnkit smiled; they had good spirit. A spirit that would most certainly wake them up early tomorrow if they wanted to try out Reedheart's moves again.

Oh. Wait.

They weren't sharing the nursery anymore. Dawnkit and her brothers would have to sleep in the apprentice's den from now on until they were warriors.

Despite her previous excitement, she suddenly felt gripping loneliness and was just upset. She didn't want to leave the nursery. She really, really didn't want change. Change was scary.

When she looked to Lionkit and Sootkit, though, some of that crushing panic became lighter. Lionkit with his warm smiles and his contagious laughter and his endurance, Sootkit with his social shyness and his embarrassed excitement and his stocky build. Her brothers, who would be with her no matter what. Dawnkit breathed out easily and stepped up behind them in the middle of the clearing.

Snakestar had already called for the Clan to gather while Dawnkit was experiencing her panic, and he stood proudly at the edge of the Fallen Tree. The aged log supported her leader's weight without a single waver, and even sparked her excitement even more. Countless claw marks decorated the bark; some newer, some embedded in forgotten times, all by previous leaders and even some lucky warriors who received the honor.

Her attention snapped back to the ceremony when Dappledfrost, the Clan's deputy, settled at the base of the log, almost directly beneath Snakestar and wrapped her tail neatly around her paws. Dawnpaw pawed the soft ground with joyous abandon. Snakestar glanced at his deputy and nodded, then cleared his throat to speak: "We have gathered today to give these kits their long awaited apprenticeship." He paused, and looked down at the three.

"Sootkit, Lionkit, Dawnkit, you have all reached six moons almost a moon ago, and for that I apologize for how late your rightful promotion is. From now on, until you three receive your warrior names, you will be known as Sootpaw, Dawnpaw, and Lionpaw respectfully." They straightened up at the call of their new names, and Sootpaw tried to subtly look around for his mentor, but Snakestar noticed and smiled. "Sootpaw," he called, startling the dark-furred apprentice, "You have already shown promising strength that I hope will support the Clan greatly. To sharpen it, I have assigned Shadowclaw to be your mentor."

A huge broad-shouldered warrior stepped forward from the crowd, and then leaned down to tap his nose against Sootpaw's. He grinned foxily as he pulled away from his new apprentice. "You'll be challenged, little Soot. Are you ready for that?" Sootpaw's eyes shone at his mentor's words, and nodded firmly. "I'm ready at any time, Shadowclaw," he assured, goading an even wider smile from the black-furred warrior. "Just what I wanted to hear. C'mon, let's wait over here while this finishes up."

Snakestar watched the exchange patiently, projecting his voice again once the two settled at the edge of the crowd. "Lionpaw, step forward," The golden tom obediently closed the distance even more so, but his excitement was clear in the way he kept glancing around and how his tail mimicked a snake. "Your mentor will be Cedarstorm, and I trust that he will prove to be an incredibly efficient mentor when it comes to putting that energy to work." From Dawnpaw's right, a big scarred tom shouldered up to the very front. Though the old marks on his skin varied from fresh to ancient, his muscles spoke power with every deliberate step. Cedarstorm halted in front of his new apprentice, and met him halfway to touch – or, bump in this case – noses. "It's a pleasure to have you, little lion," the senior warrior purred, much to Lionpaw's content as he was led over to where Sootpaw was watching the ceremony with his own mentor.

Having been distracted by her brothers, Dawnpaw – her name was Dawnpaw now! – stiffened when it was finally her turn. Snakestar nodded when she stepped closer, and then spoke once again: "Dawnpaw, I see great potential in you. Where it goes, I'll leave to you and your mentor to figure out. Spiderstrike," he called, nodding slightly when a slender, long-legged tom sauntered up. Dawnpaw couldn't help but stare; he was much smaller and thinner than Lionpaw and Sootpaw's mentors, but she wouldn't dare say that aloud, especially when she met his startlingly bright amber eyes. He was much closer all of a sudden, and she nearly forgotten about tradition until she felt his cold nose touch hers gently. "Calm down, the ceremony will be over in a moment," Spiderstrike murmured just as he pulled away, and Dawnpaw was left stunned. How had he known she was anxious? Well, whatever. She felt like bursting, whether from nausea or pure joy it didn't matter.

The Clan began chanting the new apprentices' names once she stepped away from Spiderstrike, and the emotion she felt was now recognizable as happiness.

"Sootpaw! Lionpaw! Da-"

Ah, so many good emotions. Dawnpaw swept her gaze over her cheering Clanmates, their pleased faces fueling her positivity. She was going to be a great apprentice.

"-paw! Sootpaw! Lio-"

Her eyes wandered to the trees and, for reasons she could never imagine at the time, a shiver ran up her spine.

"-ionpaw-"

When Lionpaw asks her a moment later why she kept staring at the trees, she shrugs without much hesitation.

She thought she saw a flash of black. How silly was that?

"- Dawnpaw!"

She felt nauseous.