A ginger she-kit woke up to the faint light of Leaf-bare dawn. She felt a cold place beside her, and when the she-kit looked over, it was empty.

Hmm, she thought, Moonkit's usually still asleep right now.

She went outside and stretched in the cold air. She spotted a white she-kit playing Mossball with a dark-grey tom.

"Hi Sunkit!" mewed the dark-grey tom.

"Hi Darkkit," Sunkit mewed.

The white she-kit hit the moss ball at Darkkit, knocking him square on his muzzle.

"Pay attention Darkkit!" the kit meowed.

"That was a cheap shot, Moonkit!" Darkkit protested.

Moonkit laughed," Yeah, ok. You want to play too Sunkit?"

Before Sunkit could answer Creamnose and Skyfall came out of the Nursery. Hazelwisker came out too, followed by Owlkit. Owlkit looked well-groomed and sleek. Oh no! Sunkit thought, I forgot that today was our apprentice ceremony!

Sunkit sat up straight and started to groom herself.

"What're you doing that for?" Moonkit asked.

Sunkit flicked her tail in Owlkit's direction.

"Oh Starclan!" Moonkit meowed," I forgot that was today!"

"Finally, we're going to be apprentices!" Darkkit chirped.

Sunkit finished grooming herself and said," You better groom yourselves too. Your pelts look awful because of that game of Mossball."

While the other kits started grooming themselves the Queens came over to them.

"I see you finally remembered it was your ceremony day," purred Skyfall.

Sunkit gave her chest-fur a few licks," Yeah, I don't know how we managed to forget."

The Queen chuckled.

"Let all cats old enough to fish in the river gather here for a clan meeting!" the gathering words from Lakestar ceased all conversation in the clearing.

Sunkit went up to where Owlkit, Moonkit, and Darkkit were sitting in one straight line.

Lakestar looked down into the clearing, smiling," Today, Riverclan will welcome four new apprentices. Moonkit, Darkkit, and Sunkit, please step forward."

Sunkit cast confused look at Owlkit, but he nodded his head. Something was going on.

"Moonkit, Darkkit, and Sunkit," Lakestar meowed," Is it your wishes to learn the ways of the warrior code?"

"It is," they all said in unison.

"Then, until you have earned your warrior names, you will be known as Moonpaw, Darkpaw, and Sunpaw," Lakestar said," Flamenose, you have been a warrior for some time, and are ready for another apprentice."

"Yes, Lakestar," Flamenose meowed.

"Then, you shall be mentor to Darkpaw," she said," You have proved that you are a talented and determined warrior, I expect you will pass on all you have learned to him."

"Honeyleaf," Lakestar said," You are a young and energetic warrior, and are ready for your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Moonpaw, you have received excellent training from Hazelwisker and I expect that you will teach Moonpaw well."

"And, lastly, Silvertail," Lakestar turned to the long-tailed she-cat," You are a very loyal warrior, and are ready for another apprentice, you will mentor Sunpaw."

"Now," Lakestar said," Adderbounce, you have chosen an apprentice to learn the ways of a Medicine Cat. Owlkit, step forward."

Owlkit took a shaky step forward.

"Owlkit, is it your wish to learn the ways of a Medicine Cat?"

"It is," he responded strongly.

"Then, until your mentor finds it is time for you to receive your Medicine Cat name, you will be known as Owlpaw."

"Moonpaw, Darkpaw, Owlpaw, Sunpaw!" the clan cheered their names.

Sunpaw happily bounded over to her mentor and touched noses with her. Silvertail was a very beautiful she-cat, silver grey she-cat with an extremely long tail.

"Clan Dismissed," Lakestar dismissed the clan.

"What are we going to do first?" Sunpaw asked excitedly.

Silvertail chuckled," Very excited I see. Well, first we're going to see the territory."

She bounded for the exit to the camp Sunpaw followed excitedly. They went all over the territory, Silvertail showed Sunpaw the borders with the other clans and the island where gatherings were held.

While on their way back to camp, Sunpaw chattered to Silvertail," So, how did you earn your warrior name?"

"Well, we launched an attack on a bunch of rouges," she had said," When we were victorious, I was given my warrior name."

"Cool!" Sunpaw said," I want to earn my warrior name by doing something like that!"

Silvertail chuckled, but as they neared camp, they heard sounds of dismay. Sunpaw sprinted the rest of the way back.

"What is it?" she asked to no one in particular.

Darkpaw padded up, with Moonpaw on his heels.

"Greyeyes is dead," he said grimly.

"Greyeyes!?" Sunpaw said.

Moonpaw nodded," Remember? She had Whitecough, it was just too much."

Sunpaw cast a sad look at Greyeyes' unmoving form. The she-cat had joined the Elders long ago, and had told the three many stories, she even had a story of the Great Journey, passed down for many generations.

Slowly, the cats retreated to their dens, it was sunset now, and Silverpelt would have one more star tonight, but little did the cats know, it would soon have much more.

Sunpaw went over to the Apprentice's Den, and found a sleeping spot next to Moonpaw.

Sunpaw opened her eyes to a blinding white light, day five of training! But, why was it so bright? She stepped outside, and felt her paw sink into the ground beneath her. She let out a startled yelp, but looked down and saw a fluffy white thing. This must be the snow thing the Elders speak of! She thought.

"Moonpaw, Darkpaw, come look at this!" Sunpaw mewed into the Apprentices' Den.

"What is it?" Darkpaw mewed groggily.

Moonpaw open her bright blue eyes," Why is it so cold?" she complained.

"That's why you need to come out here!" Sunpaw mewed.

When they finally stepped outside, they had the same reaction as Sunpaw.

"It snowed!" Moonpaw meowed in surprise.

The other cats started to wake up, and moved about their day just as if nothing had happened. They must have seen snow before, Sunpaw thought.

Silvertail padded out of the Warriors' Den and stretched. Sunpaw bounded over to her.

"Hi Silvertail!" she mewed.

"Hello Sunpaw, I know what you're going to ask, but today you should have a day off, Moonpaw and Darkpaw will have it off too," she said.

Sunpaw's tail drooped," Oh, okay."

"Don't look so down," Silvertail said," You get to do whatever you want today."

Sunpaw padded away and found Moonpaw, she had obviously received the news too.

"I'm going to be so bored today," Moonpaw complained.

"Want to get the Elders some Fresh-Kill?" Sunpaw asked, gesturing to the almost-empty pile.

"Yeah, they'd like that," Moonpaw agreed.

Sunpaw and Moonpaw padded over to the pile, and picked a big rabbit that should satisfy the Elders.

"Isn't that a bit much, even for both of you?" came a voice.

Sunpaw looked over her shoulder and saw Ravenfur.

"It's not for us, it's for the Elders," she said.

Ravenfur nodded," Do you need any help?"

"No we're fine," Moonpaw meowed before Sunpaw could answer.

Ravenfur padded off in the direction of Frosttail, who was organizing patrols.

The kits went off to the Elders' Den, carrying the rabbit together. They dropped the rabbit inside the den.

"Why, thank you Moonpaw," said Rainfall, a white tortoiseshell she-cat.

"Your welcome, Rainfall," Moonpaw mewed.

She padded out of the den, while Sunpaw stayed in.

Rainfall looked at Sunpaw," Is there something you want dear?"

Sunpaw was puzzled," No nothing," she muttered.

That was weird, she thought, why didn't Rainfall notice me until after Moonpaw left? And why didn't Moonpaw point out that taking food to them was my idea?

She padded around camp, before deciding to go out to practice her fighting moves. She walked out of camp, and headed to the small clearing where Silvertail taught her. As she practiced she thought more about the Elder not recognizing her. She decided it was a coincidence, and that the Elder's eyesight was failing her.

When sunset came, Sunpaw headed back to camp. When she walked into camp, no one noticed her, it was as if she hadn't gone out of camp without permission at all. She headed to the Apprentices' Den and went to sleep.

When she woke up the next morning, most of the snow had melted. She found Silvertail near the Warrior's Den, sharing tongues with Icestorm.

Silvertail looked up," Oh, there you are, Sunpaw. We're supposed to go on a Hunting Patrol with Moonpaw and Honeyleaf at Sunhigh."

Sunpaw nodded and went over to the Fresh-Kill pile. She picked up a scrawny vole and padded over to Moonpaw and Darkpaw. As she sat down she looked around the camp, everything was normal, maybe everyone had been too busy yesterday with the snow to notice that she had gone out.

When SunHigh came Sunpaw joined the others to go out. They left the camp to go near the Horseplace. When they returned to camp, jaws full of prey, Sunpaw went to find Owlpaw, it had been a while since they had talked.

She found him in the Medicine Cat's Den sorting through the herb supply.

"Hi, Owlpaw," she said.

Owlpaw cast a glance her way, then said," Hi."

"Can I ask something?" she said.

"Yeah, sure," He said, obviously not focused.

Sunpaw didn't care," All of the time, since we became apprentices, when I do something with Moonpaw, they don't seem to notice me, and to be honest, neither does Moonpaw."

Owlpaw looked at her," That's strange, I'll talk to Adderbounce, it sounds familiar."

Sunpaw felt as if he was keeping something from her, but let it go," Ok, thanks for listening, Owlpaw."

"Yeah, no problem," He was unfocused again, but this time not on the plants.

Sunpaw padded out of the den, and was once again invisible. It seemed as if only Silvertail and Moonpaw, when they were alone, knew she existed.

AN: There, I told you that the chapters would be longer, but now I wonder if it was too long… Anyways, what did you think? Why don't cats notice Sunpaw?

R&R,

Sunheart