Edited! 👌

Chapter 18: New Additions, New Subtractions

Redblaze watched as Breezeshine padded into the nursery. She was expecting Cloudclaw's kits. Redblaze stood up, and beckoned Shiningpaw with her tail. Today was the young cat's warrior assessment.

"I hope I don't fail! Oh no! What if I don't catch anything? I'll never become a warrior!" Redblaze heard Shiningpaw worry. Redblaze flicked her ears.

"All four of you should become warriors." Redblaze mewed. The other three mentors padded beside Redblaze.

"Groundpaw, you should go near the DarkClan border, nearby the Blackbird Willow." Robincall told his apprentice. The Blackbird Willow was so named for the flocks of blackbirds that often came during greenleaf. Redblaze was worried herself, as it was nearing leaf-bare.

"Go near the LightClan border. One place I reccomend going near is the Twoleg pelt den place. They only seem to go there during newleaf and greenleaf, so you should be fine." Snowwish mewed to Rushpaw.

"Go near the heart of the territory." Meltedfur flicked his tail at Mottledpaw.

"Go near the Clanless border, somewhat near the Twolegplace." Redblaze mewed to Shiningpaw. The four apprentice ran out of the camp, their mentors trailing behind them. Redblaze saw her silver apprentice near the place Redblaze told her, so Redblaze settled in the ferns. She watched Shiningpaw crouch, her mouth open and tasting the air. Shiningpaw padded forward, her pawsteps light. She quickly sprang forward, and Reblaze saw Shiningpaw's claws hook on a mouse.

"Got it!" Shiningpaw exclaimed, burying her catch. She continued onward, looking for more. Then a shriek was heard in the distance. Shiningpaw's ears went erect, and she ran towards the sound, abandoning the sparrow she was stalking. Redblaze followed. Shiningpaw came upon a sorry looking she-cat, fighting some strong looking kittypets. Shiningpaw let out a yowl, and attacked them. There was a fight.

"Shiningpaw!" Redblaze shouted. She tore from the bushes, and attacked the warriors. My apprentice will stay alive! "Mange-pelts!" Redblaze spat. Soon, the kittypets ran off, hissing and spitting curses. The she-cat looked up at the two cats.

"Th- Thanks for helping me." She mewed. Her fur was a soft cream, and darker stripes, with dark hazel eyes.

"No problem! What's your name?" Shiningpaw mewed.

"R- Rosepaw." The she-cat stammered, obviously nervous. A Clan name?

"I'm getting Featherstar. Shiningpaw, stay with Rosepaw." Redblaze mewed curtly. Soon, she whisked around and ran towards camp.

Shiningpaw

Shiningpaw tilted her head at Rosepaw. She could see the blackened fur on the she-cat, and Shiningpaw noticed Rosepaw's reddened eyes. Every once in a while Rosepaw would let out a hard cough.

"What was the name of your Clan?" Shiningpaw asked, desperate for a conversation.

"BrambleClan." Rosepaw responded, after a slight hesitation. Shiningpaw nodded.

"What's your favorite prey?" Shiningpaw then mewed, changing the subject. It was obvious Rosepaw didn't like talking about her Clan.

"Vole, by far." Rosepaw had a slightly happier glint in her brown eyes. "Yours?"

"I'm more of a mouse kind of cat. Um, what would you name kits?" Shiningpaw was glad that Rosepaw was getting happier.

"For a tom, my first choice would be Thornkit. For a she-kit, it would definitely be Marigoldkit." Rosepaw said, almost immediately.

"What do you want your warrior name to be? If it could be anything, I would want to be Shiningfur. Or something like that." Shiningpaw mewed, and she remembered that she would find out her warrior name soon.

"I would want to be Roseflower." Rosepaw said, more mild then Shiningpaw.

"I have Featherstar!" Redblaze mewed, running back. The Clan leader was behind her, a look of concern on her face. Shiningpaw ran up to her mentor. I have the best mentor! She is so strong, smart, and loyal! Shiningpaw thought.

"You must be Rosepaw?" Featherstar asked the trembling cat. Rosepaw nodded. "Come. Follow me. You must be tired." Featherstar said gently, her fur smooth, and her eyes filled with worry. Featherstar softly nosed Rosepaw up, and the three cats padded back to camp. Warriors glanced at the new cat, confusion rippling through the air. The other three apprentices were here too. Featherstar leaped onto Two Rock. She then gave a thundering yowl. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Two Rock for a Clan meeting!"

The cats began to gather, and all of the cats with 'paw' in their name stood beneath the Clan leader.

"As a lot of you know, there is a new cat. On the way here, she told me her story of how she got here. It's no story. We shall welcome Rosepaw, and she will become a strong addition to our Clan. Mintpelt, you will mentor Rosepaw." Featherstar began. Shiningpaw wriggled with anticipation. "And, we have four apprentices standing here that may receive their warrior names."

Redblaze

"And, we have four apprentices standing here that may relieve their warrior names." Featherstar mewed. "Mottledpaw, Shiningpaw, Rushpaw, and Groundpaw." The four cats stood there excitedly, ready for their new names. The sun was setting as Featherstar breathed out the ancient words of tradition. "I, Featherstar, leader of SunClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to warriors in their turn. Mottledpaw, Shiningpaw, Rushpaw, Groundpaw, do you promise to protect this Clan and uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Mottledpaw mewed.

"I do." Shiningpaw breathed, barely audible.

"I do." Rushpaw mewed calmly.

"I d- I do!" Groundpaw stammered, as if unable to believe this moment.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Mottledpaw, from this point on you shall be called Mottledface. StarClan honors your strength and optimism, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan." Featherstar rested her muzzle on Mottledface, and he responded with a lick on her shoulder.

"Mottledface! Mottledface!" The Clan yowled.

"Shiningpaw, from this point on you shall be called Shiningbreeze. StarClan honors your speed and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan." Featherstar did the same thing she did with Mottledface.

"Shiningbreeze! Shiningbreeze!" The Clan cheered for the new young warrior.

"Rushpaw, from this point on you shall be called Rushwind. StarClan honors your calm and hunting skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan."

"Rushwind! Rushwind!" The Clan chanted.

"Groundpaw, from this point on you shall be called Ground-"

"Please don't call me Groundhog!" Groundpaw burst out. Mrrows of laughter and amusement sounded throughout the Clan.

"Groundwillow. StarClan honors your humor and lightheartedness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan!" Featherstar finished.

"Thanks!"

"Groundwillow! Groundwillow!" The Clan cheered. They then erupted into gleeful yowling for all four new warriors. "Mottledface! Shiningbreeze! Rushwind! Groundwillow!"

"As per tradition, tonight you will keep a silent vigil, and protect us in our nests. But first, while the sun sets, we shall feast!" Featherstar yowled. She began to pass prey from the fresh-kill pile around, and cats ate next to each other, and shared tongues happily. Redblaze yowled loudest for the cat she herself mentored. As the moon began to rise, the cats of SunClan went to their nests to sleep. The new warriors stayed out, prodding each other to stay awake. Redblaze decided tonight, she will kill. It's been so long!

Redblaze padde outside, and gave a nod to the new warriors. "Can't sleep, going on a walk to clear my head." Redblaze mewed quickly. She continued to walk outside of camp, in the direction of DarkClan. Who should I target... I know! Redblaze followed the scent of herbs. She could see three cats sleeping in moss and feather nests, with the medicine cat in a large cleft. Redblaze unsheathed her claws. The medicine cat was pale gold, and she seemed to be in a deep sleep. Redblaze turned to the sick and injured cats, a glimmer of dark malice in her green eyes. Let's begin.

Tawnywish

Tawnywish blinked open her eyes. She found herself in StarClan's hunting grounds. She saw the first DarkClan leader lad up to her. Darkstar. Her pelt was jet-black, her eyes a bright amber.

"Be wary. A blood stained cat will come from the rising sun, and she will plunge the Clans into a near eternal death." Darkstar mewed. Tawnywish opened her mouth to respond, but it was filled with a dark liquid. Blood. It's tang filled the air, as a lake of blood formed, and Tawnywish sank down into its crimson depths. Be wary!

Tawnywish blinked open her eyes, and shrieked. The sick cats she was looking after were torn apart. "Galewhisper! Flameflower! Goldenfall, no!" Tawnywish saw her sister. Goldenfall only had whitecough... "Why, StarClan?" Tawnywish called to the star-filled sky. She saw the starry figures of Darkstar, and Tawnywish's mentor, Brightleaf, pad beside her.

"We had nothing to do with this." Darkstar mewed.

"This was the doing of a starless place." Brightleaf growled.

"Remember." They both said, their eyes flickering with fear. The voices of all of DarkClan sounded in Tawnywish's ears, all throughout the moons, every DarkClan cat that has died.

Be wary. A blood stained cat will come from the rising sun, and she will plunge the Clans into a near eternal death.