AN: Sorry I haven't updated this in awhile; Snatched kind of took over. I've been finding it hard to write Snatched in the last few days, though, so I thought I'd give this a try again.

CHAPTER 3

"I'm so excited!" Kitekit squealed. "Today(after a convenient time-skip) we get to become apprentices!"

"What's to be excited about?" Gravekit grumbled. "It just means more work, idiot."

"I think it'll be fun," Greenkit said timidly. "Don't you, Kitekit?" Kitekit ignored him, and Greenkit let out a quiet sigh. She hadn't spoken a word to him or even acknowledged his presence ever since their fight, and Greenkit was slightly depressed.

"Besides, we'll probably get some crazy cats as our mentors," Gravekit moaned.

"Isn't everyone in the Clan crazy?" Kitekit questioned.

"Exactly."

"I don't mind what mentor I get," Kitekit decided. "They're all pretty cool in their own ways, I suppose."

"You won't be saying that if you get Dirtface," Gravekit said snidely. "He reeks like crowfood!"

"He's our father, don't say that," Kitekit growled. Gravekit just rolled his eyes.

"Kits?" Sweetheart purred, entering the den. "Are you ready? Are you excited?"

"Yes!" both Greenkit and Kitekit cried.

"No," Gravekit said sourly. Sweetheart beamed at them.

"Excellent! Let's go now, it'll be starting soon," she purred, and herded them out of the den. The entire Clan had gathered around the pool, looking up at a large ledge near the waterfall expectantly. Stonedstar couldn't be heard over the waterfall's roar, and it was up to Rockfall to repeat his words to the Clan.

"It's a good thing we can't hear Stonedstar," Butterflywing purred to Sweetheart, as she sat down next to the calico she-cat. "I've heard he had a real binge last night."

Sweetheart shook her head. "It's almost sad, really."

"Won't Rockfall be repeating what he says, though?" Kitekit asked curiously.

"No, silly," Sweetheart laughed. "Stonedstar says all sorts of crazy things. Rockfall conducts the actual ceremony, or nothing would ever get done. Stonedstar is just there to look nice for StarClan."

Kitekit frowned; there was something vaguely troubling about this revelation.

"Warrior ceremonies sure are a mess, though," Butterflywing said and she shook her head. "Stonedstar has to do the actual naming of warriors, and, well…some of his names are very unique."

Sunflowerpaw, sitting beside her mentor, looked worried. "I hope my warrior name is good," she said. "Like Sunflowerblossom or Sunflowershine, something pretty like that."

Just then, Stonedstar appeared on a ledge on top of the waterfall, just as Rockfall padded to the ledge beneath it. Stonedstar opened his mouth and it was clear that he was speaking, but the waterfall drowned out his words.

"Cats of CenterClan, gather around the Fall for a Clan meeting!" Rockfall yowled, and then blinked as he realized the Clan had already assembled. "Today, three kits turn six moons old," Rockfall continued. "And now they shall become apprentices. Kitekit, Gravekit, Greenkit, come up here please."

Kitekit glanced at her mother, uncertain as to whether she went towards Stonedstar, or Rockfall. Sweetheart pointed with her tail to the path leading up to the waterfall. Kitekit glanced at Gravekit, but he wasn't paying attention, and she couldn't look to Greenkit for support either. With a sigh, Kitekit rose to her paws and padded up the slick path, towards Stonedstar. His mouth was still moving rapidly, although Rockfall remained silent.

"Gravekit, today you turn six moons old," Rockfall said, and Gravekit sighed quietly as he realized he had to be apprenticed first. He took a step towards Stonedstar. "Gravekit, you are now old enough to become an apprentice. Do you promise to learn and uphold the warrior code, and train hard under your mentor?"

"I do," Gravekit said in a bored tone.

"Then, with the power of StarClan, I give you your apprentice name. You will be known as Gravepaw, until you earn your warrior name."

Rockfall's eyes swept over the group, but Gravepaw wasn't paying attention. He was staring at Stonedstar, an amused gleam in his eyes. Kitekit wondered what Stonedstar was saying.

"Violetmoon, you have trained many apprentices," Rockfall said. "You will be Gravepaw's mentor."

The tortoiseshell tom padded up the path, slipping past Kitekit with a quiet 'excuse me'. She caught a gleam of his violet eyes, and for a moment, felt dazzled by their brightness.

"Violetmoon, you have always been a loyal warrior. I hope you can pass on your…feminine tastes and spirit to Gravepaw."

Stondedstar's mouth suddenly opened wide, and he suddenly shouted, "Violetmoon! How's your secret affair with Pinkstar going?"

Violetmoon flushed, but didn't look at Stonedstar, instead headbutting Gravepaw, as was custom. Gravepaw stumbled and nearly fell backwards, but caught himself just in time. Gravepaw padded after Violetmoon, grumbling under his breath.

"Kitekit," Rockfall said, and Kitekit stiffened. "You're six moons old now and ready to become an apprentice. Do you swear to train to become a warrior and learn StarClan's noble code?"

"I do," Kitekit said.

"Then, by the power of StarClan, I give you your apprentice name. You will now be known as Kitepaw."

Kitepaw let out a rumbling purr, feeling pride fill her body. Rockfall was gazing into the crowd, trying to pick a mentor. Kitepaw blinked suddenly; Nightlight was missing.

Yeah, her cough came back, Kitepaw remembered, she's pretty sick, too sick to be a mentor. Kitepaw's eyes widened; that left only Dirtface to be a mentor. It was a little strange to have fathers mentor their kits, but Kitepaw had already been named an apprentice, so Rockfall would have no choice.

Wait, that means…Greenkit won't have a mentor! Kitepaw gazed down at her former friend. He looked anxious, but hope lit up his face and he shuffled his paws, impatient to become an apprentice. Kitepaw felt a pang of pity; she imagined his face in her mind, falling as he realized he would have to wait another moon or two just to become an apprentice. Kitepaw and Gravepaw would become warriors first, leaving him far behind….

I'm angry with him, but that still wouldn't be fair, Kitepaw thought. Then, as she spotted Yellowbelly amongst the crowd, the medicine cat's words rang out again in her mind. Do what no other cat can.

Kitepaw suddenly knew what she would do.

"Wait," Kitepaw declared, her voice ringing over the clearing. "I want to be a medicine cat."

Rockfall was taken aback. "Are you sure? We haven't had a medicine apprentice in…some time." He glanced at Yellowbelly.

"I'm sure," Kitepaw said firmly, and Rockfall shrugged.

"So be it. Yellowbelly, you will be Kitepaw's mentor, and teach her medicine cat…thingies."

Yellowbelly came up the path and headbutted Kitepaw. Ears ringing, Kitepaw only caught the last few words of Greenkit's ceremony, as he became Greenpaw and Dirtface became his mentor. Greenpaw was pale when faced with Dirtface's stench, but he attempted to remain stoic.

"Conveniently, this is the half-moon!" Yellowbelly purred. "We can visit the GreenStone right away!"

"Greenstone?" Kitepaw echoed uncertainly. "That sounds…weird."

Yellowbelly let out a purr, clearly ecstatic to have a cat who actually wanted to spend time with her. "Don't be stupid, furball! This will be awesome!"

With that, Yellowbelly sprang away, running down the path as nimbly as a kit, only to plummet into the green water. Alarmed, Kitepaw stared into the pool, wondering which warrior would come to help her.

No one moved.

"Erm, the ceremony is over," Rockfall declared, and the Clan dispersed.

Kitepaw raced down the path to the water's edge. Yellowbelly was floating face-down. Seeing that no one else was going to help, Kitepaw slipped into the water, swimming with ease despite never laying a paw in water before. She grabbed Yellowbelly's scruff – she tasted like crowfood – and lugged her mentor back to the edge of the pool. Yellowbelly didn't stir, and she wasn't breathing, but Kitepaw wasn't worried. Kitepaw waved her tail to Gravepaw as he and Violetmoon left camp to scout the territory, and pointedly ignored Greenpaw.

Finally, Yellowbelly couldn't hold her breath any longer. She let in a rasping breath and opened her eyes, clearly expecting a crowd of cats to be watching her anxiously. Kitepaw wasn't even paying attention, only realizing Yellowbelly had 'come back' when the old cat nipped her leg.

"Ouch!" Kitepaw yelped, and Yellowbelly sat up.

"That was for the curse!" Yellowbelly growled. Kitepaw blinked in bewilderment.

"Curse?" she echoed.

"Obviously you're cursed!" Yellowbelly growled. "Someone falls in every chap – er, I mean day you show your stupid face! Seriously, what's with that?"

Kitepaw didn't take Yellowbelly's words to heart; she knew the old medicine cat was just grumpy because no one cared about her dramatic flair.

"I doubt that's true," Kitepaw meowed. "I'm pretty sure that'd get really old for the 'readers' Greenpaw is always going on about really fast, right?

AN: Touching noses with your mentor? So yesterday.