A/N: Willow here! I had a super-duper typing streak... so... double update time!

I would like to thank my reviews for all their support! I couldn't do it without you guys!

Wishheart01- thanks for reviewing!

xWillowsongx of RiverClan- thanks!

Cute06112 (Guest)- no offense taken! Thanks for pointing that out!

Dragonflywing- there will be! Thanks for reviewing!

Silver wolf rain- Ravenheart's my fav, but I like Wildpaw too. :)

Stormfeather of LakeClan- she will be!

Chapter Three: First Gathering Pt.1

"Rabbitkit! Look out!"

Rabbitkit ducked just in time to see a moss ball flying over her head, "Thanks Goldenkit!"

"You're welcome," the light golden tom smiled, "Pass it back here Snowkit!"

Rabbitkit left the two toms to play their game. How could the play on such a day? If she had gotten ahold of the ball she would have ripped it apart in her excitement. The gathering was this evening. A gathering that she, Rabbitkit, would be going to! Breezeheart had told her that at the clan she came from it wasn't custom for kits to go, in fact they weren't even allowed out of camp. But ForestClan, well, was a bit different. Anyways, she was almost the size of her father at four moons! Why shouldn't she go? Blizzardstar said that it also was good to meet the FeildClan cats at a young age so that as an apprentice and a warrior you wouldn't be so hostile if you knew them. She didn't really understand it, but as long as she got away from the camp she would be happy!

A cold raindrop landed on her back and she snarled slightly. Leave it to newleaf to ruin a good day. She hoped that it would clear up by sunhigh.

Maybe I can head over to the apprentice den to see if anybody is home?

Rabbitkit grinned and raced off, her legs kicking up mud behind her. She barely missed Emberstrike and left the hot-tempered she-cat spitting off insults about out of control kits. She skidded to a halt in front of the den, spraying the inhabitants with mud.

"Hey!" Sunpaw hissed, "You got Perfectpa- I mean my paws muddy!"

Rabbitkit shoved back a giggle and innocently said, "Sorry! Hi Hazelpaw!"

Hazelpaw was busy licking the mud off of her tortoiseshell pelt, "Hi Rabbitkit, coming to check out your home in two moons?"

"Yeah, anyways, it's pouring down rain out there," Rabbitkit pouted.

"We never noticed," Sunpaw growled, flicking her paw around in attempt to rid herself of the mud.

Rabbitkit shrugged, "Nope, you probably didn't. Nope, never."

Sunpaw rolled her eyes and the normally shy Hazelpaw burst out in laughter.

"So, where are Bonepaw and Graypaw?" Rabbitkit asked.

Sunpaw stopped licking her paws, which were now pearly white again, "Elder's duty. They lost a bet. We caught more prey than they did."

"Cool! So when is your warriors' assessment, Hazelpaw?" Rabbitkit asked.

Hazelpaw blinked, "Oh, you haven't heard? It was today, Graypaw and I will have our ceremony at tonight's gathering."

"Really? But I thought it would be next gathering. You're only eleven moons, right?" Rabbitkit's eyes widened.

"I didn't exactly wait until I was six moons old to learn how to fight and hunt," her paws shuffled uncomfortably, "And I passed my assessment with flying colors. Blizzardstar said we were ready."

"Lucky," Sunpaw grumbled, "My mom would make sure we waited the whole twelve moons before even taking our warrior assessments."

"Well, you and Bonepaw are Blizzardstar's kits," Hazelpaw pointed out, "Oh look! The rain has stopped!"

Rabbitkit raced outside, dabbing her paw in a puddle. The sun shone brightly once again over the camp, promising good weather for the gathering.

The forest had dried out and the amber sun brightly shown over the path to the ShadowCave. Although her paws ached horribly excitement tugged at her pelt and she wished that she could run to the gathering. Although she didn't think that Snowkit- or Blizzardstar- would appreciate it if she did.

She had to dig her claws into the ground to keep herself from colliding with her mother as they stopped abruptly.

"We're here," Breezeheart hurriedly groomed a stray tuff of fur on Rabbitkit's head, "Now remember to stick with the ForestClan apprentices and be nice to the other kits."

Rabbitkit hurriedly nodded.

"And the tunnel to get to the cave is very dark. But remember that we'll be right there and we won't let anything happen to you," Cloudwhisker added.

Rabbitkit's stomach did a summersault, "O-ok dad."

He rested his tail on her back, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. FieldClan is really quite nice."

Breezeheart followed Goldenkit and his mother and slipped into the dark tunnel. Snowkit quivered visibly beside Rabbitkit. She pressed her pelt against his and followed her mother into the tunnel on shaky paws. Cloudwhisker's slender frame blocked most of the sunlight as he followed his kits. Paw steps echoed on the stone and happy greetings were ushered up ahead. Rabbitkit's excitement came back to her as she felt her way along the stone walls. Light entered her vision and she breathed out a sigh of relief and leaped out of the tunnel.

Why did they call it a cave? It's more like a crater than anything.

Its sheer sides were higher than any warrior could leap, but its' open roof provided plenty of sunlight. A high ledge opposed the entrance tunnel and already a long-haired ginger and white tom perched proudly on top. Blizzardstar weaved through the crowd and joined him, exchanging a few words. Rabbitkit's breath caught as she noticed just how many cats there were.

"The FieldClan apprentices normally gather over this way," Hazelpaw pointed to a more secluded area of the 'cave'.

"Ok," Rabbitkit nodded and followed her, making sure not to lose her brother on the way.

"I bet you can't beat me in a race!" a small dark ginger FeildClan apprentice called out to Sunpaw.

"You wanna' bet, Brackenpaw?" Sunpaw retorted, "Everybody knows you're as slow as a snail.

"Nuh-uh," Brackenpaw growled, "I'm as fast as a-"

"Dead snail," one of his clanmates, a pretty long-haired golden she-cat purred, "I bet you couldn't even beat on of the new ForestClan kits."

Brackenpaw lowered his head in embarrassment, "I could! Just pick one out and we'll race!"

She smiled, "Okay. Hey, you, little brown and white kit, do you want to race Snailpaw?"

Rabbitkit froze, "Oh, uh, sure!"

"Wildpaw! That isn't fair to the little kit," a dark tabby and ginger she-cat giggled.

"I can do it!" Rabbitkit protested.

The golden she-cat, apparently Wildpaw, held her tail high in the air, "Ok! Clear the track!"

Slowly all the young cats emptied a small area, leaving about twelve fox-lengths for the race both ways.

"Go Rabbitkit!" Sunpaw yowled.

"You can do it Brackenpaw!" Bonepaw glared at his sister.

Wildpaw swished her tail for silence, "Both of you line up here," she sunk her claws into the ground and tore them across the path, "Then go around two laps and I'll judge who passes this line first. If Brackenpaw wins nobody can call him a snail anymore- but whatever else is fine. If Rabbitkit wins she gets bragging rights to say that she beat a FieldClan apprentice in a race."

Rabbitkit nodded and stretched out her legs before taking her spot at the line. Brackenpaw's green eyes narrowed in concentration as he stood beside her. She quickly measured up the apprentice. He wasn't as muscular as most of the apprentices in the clan, in fact she had just about as much muscle as he did. His legs were short and he didn't have very powerful looking haunches unlike her. He was older, which made him more filled out, and he was larger. But Rabbitkit had the build and speed of a rabbit like her name suggested and for her size she was still extremely light.

"3…2…1… GO!" Wildpaw shouted.

Rabbitkit lunged forward and she quickly found her rhythm. Her own paw-beats echoed in her brain and she barely recognized Brackenpaw's as he passed her up. She narrowed her eyes and quickened her rhythm, making the turn easily. The tight turn seemed to hamper Brackenpaw up and he fell back. One more lap to go. Brackenpaw surged forward putting all of his effort and energy into beating her. One more turn. Rabbitkit struggled to stay in front and skidded around the sharp bend. Brackenpaw was only a paw-length behind her now. With her final burst of speed she leaped across the finish line.

"And Rabbitkit of ForestClan wins! Sorry, Snailpaw," Wildpaw beamed, "Well, it looks like hunting's started. Hollypaw, do you want to come with me?"

"Sure," the dark tabby and ginger she-cat from earlier replied, following Wildpaw into the crowd of cats.

A/N: Also I would like to remind everybody of my forum! It's (sort of) based off of this series, but even if you don't review or have friends that don't read etc. we would love to have you! We have a RPG game, chat, etc. and it's really fun :D

Chapter Four: First Gathering Pt.2 will be out in a moment if it's not already out, so stand by!

Chapter Question:

If you were an apprentice at the gathering who would you vote for to win the race?

A) Brackenpaw of FieldClan

B) Rabbitkit of ForestClan

~Willow