-1Chapter Two: Darkstar
It was as cold as ice. Rainpaw felt as if he were falling. Suddenly, he hit the ground. The darkness and cold lifted. Rainpaw stood in a misty clearing. It was still a bit chilly, but not as cold as before. Cats surrounded Rainpaw. Two stood out. Hollyheart was one. Hollyheart was Rainpaw's mother, and Silvertail's sister. She had been killed by coyotes.
"Mother!" Rainpaw mewed. He nuzzled her. The other was Fernflower. He touched noses with her and realized the horrible truth. Am I dead? He thought.
"Am I dead?" he asked Fernflower.
"yes. You are. You killed yourself out of grief for me. I am astonished by your loyalty, but next time, be your careful about what you do." she replied.
"But I'm dead! There is no 'next time!'" Rainpaw mewed, confused.
"I do not think that I should be responsible for your death through loyalty, there-fore, you are not in Starclan yet." Rainpaw was confused.
"Go now, my son." mewed Hollyheart. The cats disappeared and Rainpaw was returned to cold and darkness.
"No!" he yowled, but the darkness only pulled him more.
"No!" Rainpaw was still yowling when he awoke. He was laying near the body of Fernflower. The water lapped gently at him. That rays of the rising sun warmed his body.
Rainpaw shook of the night's dream's fear and stretched. He saw that the kits, as well as Forestpelt and Silvertail, were gone. He also saw a patrol of three cats heading towards him.
"Here! Here! I'm over here!" Rainpaw yowled. The cats raced towards him.
"Flametail! Forestpelt! Silvertail!" Rainpaw yowled to them "I thought I would only s-"
"Shhhh! There's been more enemy warriors around here!" Flametail growled.
"Sorry. I didn't know." Rainpaw mewed, embarrassed.
"It's okay, you didn't know." Silvertail mewed, half to Rainpaw and half to Flametail.
Flametail muttered to himself and looked around, as if expecting enemy warriors to attack at any moment.
"Let's take her body back to camp. Then the elders can bury her." Silvertail mewed to all of them. "And Rainpaw, I'd like to speak to you."
Rainpaw followed her to the other side of a large rock.
"What is it?" Rainpaw mewed when she stopped.
"I told the clan you died with Fernflower. We thought you had died-"
"I did." Rainpaw mewed, remembering his dream.
"But you're alive you can't have died, you're here!"
"Well…" Rainpaw mew as he started to explain his dream.
"Wow!" Silvertail ended.
They walked around the rock to see Flametail and Forestpelt arguing about who would carry the body.
"How about Rainpaw and I do. We had the highest relationships with her." Silvertail mewed.
"Sound's good. After all, you're right." Forestpelt concluded.
Rainpaw dragged Fernflower's body though the hole in the brambles. Sad faces greeted him. They all thought he was dead.
"Rainpaw! Rainpaw! We all thought you were dead!" yowled a high voice. All the cats turned to the gate. Grayheart bounded to the entrance of Darkstar's den.
Rainpaw looked around the camp. A black and white tom came rushing out to greet him. It was Hailpaw.
No! Not Hailpaw! He follows me everywhere he can! Rainpaw thought. Sure enough, Hailpaw began his usual blabbering.
"I'm so glad you're back! If you died, I would have no friends! None! Zip! Zero!" he mewed with annoyingly hard to deal with excitement.
First of all, I'm not you're friend. You're a annoying kit that follows me around NOT my friend. Rainpaw thought. He pushed Hailpaw out of the way with his paw. He could see Darkstar standing in the rear of the crowd. He had something to ask her.
"Who's the new deputy? He asked her. A pleased look spread out on Darkstar's face.
"No-one yet. It was nearly dawn when Forestpelt and Silvertail got here, so…" She mewed.
"So…" Rainpaw urged her on.
"…So I haven't named one yet." Darkstar finished.
Just then, a black and white apprentice leaped up. "Oh Rainpaw and-" Hailpaw mewed.
"Shut your muzzle and save it for later, Hailpaw." Rainpaw mewed.
I can't believe he's an apprentice. Rainpaw thought. Suddenly it struck him that the whole evening had passed without him knowing.
"Good-night." he mewed under his breath. With that, he turned to the apprentice's den and was asleep before his head hit the ground.
"Rainpaw! Wake up!" the high voice of Hailpaw mewed. Rainpaw blinked his eyes open. A crowd had gathered beneath Cactus Rock. Rainpaw leaped up to join it. Darkstar glanced him, telling him to come. Suddenly, he understood why.
"We gather here 'round Cactus Rock for two reasons. The first is to give Rainpaw his warrior name!" Darkstar announced. "Rainpaw, Fernflower taught you well in how to fight and how to hunt. She also taught you to understand love and sacrifice-two things many warriors don't learn. Tonight, under Starclan and Fernflower, I shall grant you your warrior name!" Darkstar's voice softened. "Rainpaw, do you promise to live by the warrior code and to protect your clan, Desertclan, even at the cost your life?" she mewed.
"I do." Rainpaw mewed.
"Then you shall now be known as Rainpool!" she mewed. The newly-named Rainpool looked around at the cheering crowd.
Darkstar silenced her clan with a flick of her clan. "We also Gather here to name the new deputy!" She mewed. Grayheart opened his eyes wide. He was an elderly gray tabby. He would be a good choice as deputy and he knew it.
"I say this over the body of Fernflower, so she can hear and approve my choice. The new deputy will be" Grayheart trembled with excitement.
"-Rainpool" Darkstar mewed. Rainpool opened his eyes wide with astonishment. He, a newly named warrior, as deputy.
"But he hasn't a apprentice!" Grayheart yowled.
"No, but the kits he saved will be six moons old soon. He will take one as apprentice then." Darkstar mewed. "Speaking of kits, They need names. Rainpool, I give you the honor to name them, as you saved them." Rainpool had begun to think he was dreaming by that point.
"Skykit and Sunkit." Rainpool mewed. "The silver one is Skykit and the golden one is Sunkit."
"Good names." Darkstar commented quietly. Rainpool thought he saw a glint in her eye, and it sent a shiver down his back.