Shadowkit:
Shadowkit blinked awake, her eyes blinking uncomfortably into the morning light. "For StarClan's sake, what-" She broke off as she found Ashfire, made a warrior days before, staring urgently at her. "-happened?" she finished, confused at why the light gray warrior was staring down at her, when he should have been in the warriors' den. "Why are you here?"
"Oh, and you're asking me?" Ashfire hissed. "What are you doing here?"
Shadowkit blinked, staring at her surroundings. She was lying in a clump of ferns under a large oak, and she pushed herself back to her paws. Then, she remembered. She had been unable to sleep, and she had decided to go out to the clearing. She must have fallen asleep. "Sorry, I'm just... uh..."
Ashfire purred in amusement. "Don't worry, Shadowkit! I just think you should go back to the nursery now! Blackstream will be worried sick!"
Rolling her eyes, Shadowkit realized that what Ashfire said was true. Because her littermate had, according to Blackstream, mysteriously vanished, even though it was doubted she had a littermate at all, her mother would definitely be worried, overprotective, maybe, over her. "You're right," Shadowkit mewed, nodding.
"I almost feel sorry for you," Ashfire mewed, whiskers twitching in amusement. "Blackstream's going to insist on grooming you today."
Shadowkit tipped her head to one side. "Why?"
"Mouse-brain!" Ashfire mewed, his tail flicking her ear. "Today's your apprentice ceremony!"
Oh! Shadowkit had almost forgotten. "Right! I almost forgot!"
"Really?" Ashfire asked. "How could you?"
"No, I was lying," Shadowkit growled sarcastically. Ashfire purred in amusement.
"Now, go on," Ashfire mewed. "It's almost sunhigh, and Blackstream will wake up, soon." Shadowkit nodded and waved her tail, her heart soaring just like the birds flying above the camp as she thought about how her apprentice ceremony. She found that her paws had already carried her back to the nursery, where she was immediately confronted by an angry Blackstream.
"What in the name of StarClan were you doing there?" Blackstream demanded, her fur bristling. "When I found that you hadn't been in your nest the second half of the night, you had me worried!"
Shadowkit studied her paws. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "I went out into the clearing, and I fell asleep there."
Blackstream sighed. "All right. Come on, let's get you ready for your apprentice ceremony!" Reaching out a paw, she pulled Shadowkit toward her, holding her firmly still, and rapidly licked her fur flat with strong, steady strokes.
"Blackstream?" Shadowkit asked, looking up at the dark-furred she-cat. "Who do you think-"
Her mother cut her off. "Your mentor?"
"How did you guess?"
Blackstream shook her head, purring. "Almost every kit asks that on the morning they become an apprentice," she mewed, her eyes sparkling.
"Well, that really answers my question," Shadowkit growled sarcastically.
"How would I know?" Blackstream mewed. "Jaystar's the one who decides all that, not me!" Shadowkit sighed, remaining quiet as her mother licked the top of her head and released her. "There."
"Blackstream?" Shadowkit asked, pausing at the entrance.
"What?"
"Just curious, what was Jaystar's warrior name?"
"Jayheart. Why do you ask?" Blackstream mewed, narrowing her eyes.
"No reason." Shadowkit nodded and turned away.
Shadowkit, suddenly excited, charged into the clearing, the rays of the glowing sun directly striking her pelt. Once she was in the center of the clearing, she froze, shuddering. What if they don't accept me? she thought. Because my mother is declaring something for which the clan finds no evidence!
"Worried?"
Shadowkit spun around to see Silvergaze, made a warrior along with her brother, Ashfire, gazing at her, understanding in her clear blue eyes. Silvergaze purred at her shocked reaction. "Don't worry, it'll be fine, Shadowkit."
"If you say so." Shadowkit said. Then, there was a long, silent pause before Shadowkit spoke again, worry sparking in her green eyes. "What if they don't accept me as an apprentice?" she mewed, her voice barely a murmur.
"Why wouldn't they?" Silvergaze snapped. "You're a perfectly able kit!"
"Because Blackstream is saying something completely against what evidence shows," Shadowkit mewed. Not to say that it isn't true, but the clan is more likely to believe what the evidence shows.
"Don't worry about it," Silvergaze mewed. "Jaystar finds you perfectly fine. If others disagree, it's their loss." She stuck her tail up in the air in mock pride and haughtiness, making Shadowkit purr, momentarily forgetting her worries. Though Shadowkit and Silvergaze were so many moons apart, just like Shadowkit and Ashfire, both Silvergaze and Ashfire made close friends for Shadowkit.
"I hope you're right," Shadowkit murmured.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!" Shadowkit whirled around to see Jaystar leap onto the Highledge, his chest puffed out, his eyes bright with excitement. She watched as cats poured out of the various dens at the leader's call.
"Good luck," Silvergaze murmured, stepping back a little to let Shadowkit stand in the center of the clearing.
"Today, we gather to help a six-moon-old kit move on to the next stage of her life. Shadowkit, step forward." Taking in a deep breath, Shadowkit avoided the gazes of her clanmates scorching her pelt by looking straight ahead, puffing out her chest as she strode to the base of the Highledge. "From this moment onward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Shadowpaw. Moonblaze-" Shadowkit, no, Shadowpaw, tensed in excitement "-you have proved to be a great and loyal deputy, and I trust that you will pass on all you know to Shadowpaw."
Shadowpaw fought to not leap and bound over to her new mentor in excitement. Instead, she padded as calmly as she could manage over to the white-furred, purple-eyed she-cat and touched noses with her. "I'll make her into a warrior the clan can admire," Moonblaze mewed, dipping her head. Turning to Shadowpaw, she murmured, "I really will!"
Shadowpaw puffed out her chest even more as she heard the clan begin to cheer, calling out her name. "Shadowpaw! Shadowpaw! Shadowpaw!"
Jaystar waved his tail for silence. "As Shadowpaw is the only apprentice in ThunderClan," he mewed, "I assign Silvergaze and Ashfire, our newest warriors, to aid her in her duties and help her train." Shadowpaw's heart leaped as she looked forward to spending more time than she had expected with her friends. "The meeting is dismissed."
"Well?" Shadowpaw asked excitedly. "What are we doing first?"
"Why don't we start with some battle training?" Moonblaze mewed. "I know it's not what normal apprentices do first, but something tells me we should."
"All right!"
"Now, as you are unfamiliar with the territory, stay close behind." Moonblaze turned and headed straight through the thorn tunnel. Shadowpaw's green eyes blazed in excitement as she followed, exiting the camp for her first time.