Foxkit stirred and growled in her sleep as a paw poked her. She sat up and saw Flamekit, one of Cherryleaf's kits, and immediately started grooming herself. Over the past two moons, she had developed a huge crush on the ginger tom and wanted to impress him.
"What is it, Flamekit?" she asked in a whisper.
"I want to go out of camp," the ginger kit whispered back, easing closer to Foxkit.
Foxkit's eyes widened, "Why?"
"Tigerpaw was boasting about how he and Leopardpaw and his mentor Toadstep went hunting outside the abandoned twoleg nest as a treat for his good training today."
"So, you want to go?"
"Yes."
The two kits snuck out of the nursery and out through the dirtplace.
Flamekit and Foxkit stared at the vast forest beyond them and Foxkit shivered with fear and cold.
"I will protect you," Flamekit whispered, pressing his flank against her side.
Foxkit's heart quickened, then she relaxed.
The two kits set out through the vast forest and froze when they heard voices. They hid in the bushes.
Tigerpaw and a she cat from another Clan stalked through the bushes apparently doing some moonhigh hunting. The she-cat's amber eyes were glowing in the moonlight and the two kits saw... love...glowing ferociously in her eyes. Tigerpaw's amber eyes revealed the same.
Foxkit's jaw dropped and Flamekit breathed, "They're in love!"
Tigerpaw turned suddenly, his eyes flashing, "Someone is here!"
Foxkit's blood ran cold. If they were to be discovered, they would get in trouble and they might be delayed their apprentice ceremonies!
Then, Flamekit made quite a racket stomping out of the bushes to reveal himself, allowing Foxkit to run to the abandoned twoleg nest to safety.
There Foxkit waited for what seemed like moons when Flamekit walked in.
"I'm sorry, Flamekit," she sighed, "What kind of trouble are you in?"
"It's quite alright. I am not in trouble. We made a compromise." Flamekit purred, "I am quite the master of manipulation."
He manipulates my heart, too! Foxkit thought, He will probably pad after some other she cat like Honeypaw.
"Well, what happened?" Foxkit asked.
"In exchange for keeping my being out here, I had to keep Tigerpaw's little crush a secret."
Foxkit sighed with relief. Then, she and Flamekit scrambled back to camp and into their nests in the nursery.
Morning came a bit too early for the remaining litters in the nursery. Foxkit stirred sleepily and shook the sleep from her eyes. Treekit, Cloudkit, and Moonkit were already outside with Cherryleaf's other kit, Goldenkit.
Foxkit prodded Flamekit, who turned over and yawned.
They padded outside to where the whole Clan had gathered around a horde of cats from far away. They were the age of senior warriors if not older.
Lionblaze padded out in front of the crowd and meowed, "Who are you? And why are you here?"
A black tom with a white tail tip padded out front and meowed, "I am Ravenpaw, one of Firepaw's closest friends."
A black and white tom came to stand with the first cat. "And I am Barley, a friend of both Bluestar and Firestar."
A ginger she-cat came out front, "I am Princess, Firestar's sister and Cloudtail's mother."
Another black and white tom padded to the front, "And I am Smudge, one of Firestar's old friends."
The cats of ThunderClan's eyes were wide with shock, then Bramblestar came out front and meowed, "Come with me."
Bramblestar beckoned for the kin of Firestar that was in ThunderClan and the loners to come into his den and they all soon got settled.
Princess looked around the den. "Is Firestar out?" she asked.
"No," Bramblestar murmured, "Firestar is..." he choked on the last word, "dead." He and the Clan cats in the den bowed their heads in respectful silence.
Princess let out a cry of mourning, Barley gasped, Smudge bowed his head, and Ravenpaw let out a mournful, "No!"
"He hunts with StarClan now, but these are his kin."
"Cloudtail, his nephew." Cloudtail stepped forward, seeming like he was young again, with his mate, Brightheart. Princess rushed up and touched noses with her son.
"I've missed you so much," she murmured.
"Cloudtail's and Brightheart's kits, Firestar's grand nieces and nephews, Whitewing, Ambergaze, Dewdrop, and Snowfall."
The four warriors stepped forward and dipped their heads to the newcomers, Birchfall beside Whitewing. Princess's eyes brimmed with pride as she stared at her grandkits.
Firestar's great-grand neices, Whitewing's and Birchfall's kits, Dovewing and Ivypool."
Foxkit watched as her mother and aunt stepped up and dipped their heads alongside Bumblestripe and Foxleap.
"Firestar's great, great-grand nieces and nephew, Dovewing's and Bumblestripe's kits, Scorchkit, Ashkit, and Rainkit, who are becoming apprentices today."
Scorchkit, Ashkit, and Rainkit padded forward and dipped their heads.
"Firestar's great, great-grand nieces and nephew, Ivypool's and Foxleap's kits, Treekit, Moonkit, Cloudkit, and Foxkit."
Foxkit and her littermates stepped forward and dipped their heads.
Princess let out a purr, "All of these are my kin!"
"Firestar's and Sandstorm's daughters and sons, Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Duskpaw, Rushpaw, and Blackpaw."
Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Duskpaw, Rushpaw, and Blackpaw stepped up and dipped their heads. Crowfeather dipped his head beside Leafpool and Bramblestar also dipped his head.
The loners murmured at how much Rushpaw looked like Firestar.
"Firestar's grandkits, the kits of Leafpool and Crowfeather, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, Ravenpaw, Stormpaw, and Sorrelpaw. Hollyleaf is no longer with us. She died the death of a warrior during the great battle."
The cats bowed their heads in silence for Hollyleaf as Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Ravenpaw, Stormpaw, and Sorrelpaw stepped up and dipped their heads. Cinderheart stepped up and did the same beside Lionblaze
"Firestar's grandkits, the kits of me and Squirrelflight, Tigerpaw and Morningpaw."
Tigerpaw and Morningpaw padded forward and dipped their heads.
"Firestar's great grandkits, Lionblaze's and Cinderheart's kits, Honeypaw, Leopardpaw, and Sunpaw."
Honeypaw, Leopardpaw, and Sunpaw stepped forward and dipped their heads.
Ravenpaw, the loner, nodded and meowed, "We would like to join your Clan. Princess, Barley, and Smudge all want to be elders, but I want to have the warriorhood I never had."
Bramblestar nodded and he leaped onto the Highledge and called a meeting.
"Cats of ThunderClan, these four loners joined the Clan to serve as elders and warriors and I will now present them with proper Clan names. Princess, from this day forward you will now be an elder known as Flowerpelt. Smudge from this day forward, you will now be known as an elder called Sootstreak. Barley from this day foreward, you will be an elder named Barleystalk. And Ravenpaw, you will now be known as Ravenfeather. StarClan honors your courage and determination for leaving your homes and traveling all the way here and we welcome you as full members of ThunderClan."
"Flowerpelt! Sootstreak! Barleystalk! Ravenfeather!" the Clan chanted.
Bramblestar continued, "And I have to make three new warriors and three new apprentices today. Rushpaw, Duskpaw, Blackpaw, come forward."
"From this day forward, Rushpaw will now be known as Rushspirit. StarClan honors his courage and bravery and we welcome him as a full member of ThunderClan."
"From this day forward, Duskpaw will now be known as Duskfall. StarClan honors her skill and bravery and we welcome her as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
"From this day forward, Blackpaw will now be known as Blackthorn. StarClan honors his skill and patience and we welcome his as a full member of ThunderClan."
"And, from this day forward until they have earned their warrior names, Scorchkit, Ashkit, and Rainkit will now be known as Scorchpaw, Rainpaw, and Ashpaw. Their mentors will be Ravenfeather, Crowfeather, and Lionblaze."
"Rushspirit! Duskfall! Blackthorn! Scorchpaw! Ashpaw! Rainpaw!" the Clan chanted.
I can't wait until I become an apprentice! Foxkit thought with excitement. Her eyes gleamed as she thought, Only a moon or so away!