Goldenkit purred as she wrestled with her twin sister, Luckykit, on the soft moss of the nursery. Dark thorns and brambles woven into the roof and sides of the den surrounded them, creating a sense of comfort.

Goldenkit's fur flashed pure gold in the late afternoon sun, while Luckykit's fur was gold-brown. It still flashed, just not quite as radiantly. Goldenkit often teased Luckykit about it.

"I'll get you for that!" Luckykit growled and she leaped onto Goldenkit's back, kicking out with her black paws.

Goldenkit scrabbled on the ground and stood up, wincing. "You hurt my paw!" she retorted.

Goldenkit and Luckykit's mother, Cinderheart, purred at them and nuzzled Goldenkit affectionately before licking Luckykit's ears gently. Her dark blue eyes glowed as she viewed her boisterous kits. Luckykit had taken after her mother's eyes and Goldenkit had taken after Lionblaze's amber eyes. She inspected Goldenkit's soft white paws. A small trickle of blood emerged from a cut on a forepaw.

"Luckykit, be more gentle, please," Cinderheart reprimanded but her voice was light. She swept out of the nursery and a few minutes later, or what felt like moons to Goldenkit, returned with Lionblaze, her father.

"What've you done now?" Lionblaze purred, holding her paw up. "Let's get you to the medicine den."

Goldenkit bounced along with Lionblaze to the medicine den, careful not to use her injured paw. Jayfeather lifted his head as he heard them approaching.

"Lionblaze!" he snapped, "It's been a while, I thought you'd forgotten me!"

Lionblaze retorted, "I've been busy with my warrior duties and my beautiful kits, Jayfeather. I need you to take a look at Goldenkit."

Lionblaze gently nudged Goldenkit into Jayfeather's direction. She shyly gave her injured paw to him, and he gave it a quick sniff.

"I'll get you some cobwebs, comfrey root, horsetail and some poppy seeds to help you sleep and ease the pain." He meowed.

Jayfeather disappeared into the medicine cat den and emerged again, bringing the necessary herbs with him. Goldenkit wondered what Luckykit was doing while Jayfeather wrapped the cobwebs around the cut and started chewing up the comfrey root and horsetail. He sprinkled a couple poppy seeds onto the ground.

"Lick those up," Jayfeather ordered.

Goldenkit obeyed immediately and licked up the horsetail and comfrey root as well.

"Now go back to your den and have a nice nap," Jayfeather grumbled.

Lionblaze accompanied Goldenkit back to the nursery, where Luckykit was already curled up in the moss.

"Molewhisker! Can you teach me how to fight now!" Bushpaw yowled as he saw his mentor, Molewhisker. Bushpaw was a young apprentice who had been in the nursery a moon ago.

"Fine, in a minute, Bushpaw." Molewhisker replied wryly, his tail flicking in amusement. That'll be me, soon! Goldenkit thought excitedly. I'm almost six moons old!

Lionblaze fetched a mouse and dropped it in the nursery. "Goldenkit, eat up then have a rest." He murmured.

Goldenkit finished the mouse, and her last thought before she fell asleep was, "I hope I can be apprenticed soon!"

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar yowled.

Soon, the whole Clan was gathered around the Highledge. Goldenkit and Luckykit had finally turned 6 moons old and were ready to become apprentices.

"Goldenkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw. Your mentor will be Ivypool. I hope Ivypool will pass down all she knows on to you.

Ivypool, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Cinderheart, and you have shown yourself to be determined and loyal. You will be the mentor of Goldenpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." Firestar yowled.

Ivypool padded next to Goldenpaw, and they touched noses.

"Goldenpaw! Goldenpaw!" The Clan echoed.

"Luckykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Luckypaw. Your mentor will be Dovewing. I hope Dovewing will pass down all she knows on to you.

Dovewing, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Lionblaze, and you have shown yourself to be hardworking and strong. You will be the mentor of Luckypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." Firestar continued.

"Luckypaw! Luckypaw!" The Clan yowled.

"As Luckypaw and Goldenpaw are extremely close, just as Dovewing and Ivypool were when they were apprenticed, I believe this will be a great opportunity for both mentors and apprentices to become closer."

The clan listened with interest; this was not part of the usual ceremony.

Firestar jumped down from the Highledge, signaling with his tail that the Clan meeting was over.

Goldenpaw scrambled over to Ivypool, quivering with delight. "Can we train now? Can we train now? Oh please!" She purred.

Ivypool waited for Dovewing and Luckypaw before saying, "Dovewing, how about we teach these apprentices our borders today and hunting tomorrow?"

Dovewing gave a slight nod and the two mentors and two apprentices trotted into the woods.

They had soon reached the WindClan border; it wasn't even sunhigh yet, though Goldenpaw's paws hurt already. She was determined not to let it show.

"Tell me, apprentices, what do you smell." Dovewing purred.

"WindClan!" Goldenpaw meowed.

"I smell WindClan and a squirrel!" Luckypaw retorted.

"Both of you are right," Ivypool continued. "We are at the WindClan border."

Ivypool and Dovewing promptly set their scent markers on the border. Luckypaw and Goldenpaw imitated them.

"Take a breath in, as you'll need to know these scents." Dovewing warned.

Ivypool opened her jaws, tasting the air. "I smell a WindClan patrol coming this way!"

"I can see them!" Luckypaw yelped excitedly.

"I can't!" Goldenpaw complained.

"I'm just better than you!" Luckypaw puffed out her chest smugly.

Dovewing and Ivypool shook their heads, whiskers twitching.

Five shapes grew bigger as they came closer to the border.

"Greetings, Heathertail, Crowfeather, Ashfoot." Dovewing tilted her head.

"Hello, Dovewing and Ivypool." Ashfoot responded, warily. "What are you ThunderClan cats doing on the border?"

The question was not hostile, yet the ThunderClan cats knew they needed to answer it.

"We were renewing our scent marks." Ivypool retorted curtly.

"Same here," Crowfeather snarled.

"I can't believe it! Our first day as apprentices and we're meeting WindClan warriors and apprentices! This is great!" Luckypaw hissed to Goldenpaw. She replied with a twitch of her ears, not wanting to miss anything.

"We'll be leaving now," Ivypool meowed.

Goldenpaw withheld a groan. Why did Luckypaw have to distract her?

The four ThunderClan cats arrived at the ShadowClan boundary. Renewing the scent marks, Ivypool said, "Both of you know the warrior code, right?"

Luckypaw nodded eagerly while Goldenpaw shuffled her paws. "Sorry, I'm not too sure," she replied. Why couldn't Cinderheart and Lionblaze have told me? Now they think I'm a fool!

Dovewing motioned for them to sit and repeated the warrior code.

"1. Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle.

2. Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.

3. , , sick or injured cats and kits must be fed before and .

4. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders.

5. is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.

6. A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.

7. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent for one night after receiving their warrior .

8. A cat cannot be made without having at least one apprentice.

9. The deputy will become Clan when the leader dies, retires, or is exiled.

10. After the death, retirement, promotion, or exile of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.

11. A of all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time.

12. must be checked and daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.

13. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.

14. An honourable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defences.

15. A warrior rejects the soft life of a .

16. Each Clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect them. Each Clan must help the others so that no Clan will fall."

"Understood?" Ivypool glared at Goldenpaw.

"Sure," Goldenpaw muttered sulkily, while Luckypaw was practically glowing with confidence.

"Good. Goldenpaw, Luckypaw, we're going back to the camp. Once we get back, I want Goldenpaw to feed the elders and search them for ticks and Luckypaw can change the bedding of the elders' den and nursery." Dovewing commanded.

"Aww, come on, why do I have to search for ticks?" Goldenpaw dragged her paws as they travelled back to camp.

Back at the camp, Mousefur, Longtail and Purdy were resting in the elders' den. Goldenpaw and Luckypaw trudged into their den, heads hanging, paw pads aching from the long trek back. Goldenpaw was dragging a squirrel and a rabbit with her from the fresh-kill-pile.

"Is that prey I smell?" Purdy stopped grooming his fur.

"Yes," Goldenpaw retorted. Stupid elders.

Purdy was a kittypet that Brambleclaw, the Clan deputy, Squirrelflight and some others had encountered on their journey to the sun-drown place. He had come back with them when they had thought a loner named Sol was a murderer. Purdy had stayed with Mousefur, who he had a great friendship with.

Goldenpaw sniffed through Mousefur's thick, dusky brown fur. A plump tick had crawled into her fur, Goldenpaw cracked it with her teeth quickly.

"Thanks, Goldenpaw," Mousefur snorted, "One tick gone but the rest are still swarming me."

Goldenpaw recoiled against Mousefur's sharp tongue.

"Sorry," she retorted.

Luckypaw came in, her voice muffled with the moss clamped in her jaws. She dragged the old bedding out and replaced it with the new bedding.

"This is wet!" Mousefur complained.

"Hush," Purdy chided, "They're doing their best."

"Hmph," Longtail butted in.

"The last lot of apprentices were much better," Mousefur grumbled but allowed Luckypaw to continue.

"Sorry, Mousefur," Luckypaw mewed respectfully. "I'll leave you to eat your prey in peace."

Luckypaw and Goldenpaw padded out of the elders' den wearily. They had been busy the whole afternoon! Since they had finished their apprentice duties their mentors had assigned to them, the new apprentices each picked up a small mouse from the prey pile and took it to the apprentices' den and ate together.

"Apprentice training is great!" Luckypaw stated, purring loudly.

"It is," Goldenpaw agreed, trying to get on more friendly terms with her sister. "I can't wait for our warrior names!"

"I hope Firestar doesn't call me Luckybush, that would be a horrible name," Luckypaw shuddered.

"I'd like Goldenstone, it sounds nice," Goldenpaw said wistfully.

"Stop chattering like wrens," Fogpaw grunted as he tossed in his sleep, "I've been on patrol all night."

"Sorry, Fogpaw," Goldenpaw apologized to the older apprentice.

"I'll be glad to have my assessment soon; then I won't need to hear you two talk all day." Fogpaw retorted. "Mark my words, I'll be a warrior in no time, and I'll be bossing you two around."

"Goldenpaw? Luckypaw? Want to come out on a hunt with us?" Beetlenose popped into the den.

"Sure," they chorused back.

Beetlenose, Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, Goldenpaw and Luckypaw padded into the forest warily.

"Goldenpaw, Luckypaw, extend your senses, what do you smell?" Lionblaze asked gently.

Goldenpaw opened her jaws carefully. "Rabbits!" She pounced on a blade of grass and immediately a rabbit ran out. Luckypaw was in perfect position to grab it, and she did. The rabbit struggled and almost escaped, but Goldenpaw leapt on it, catching it with her unsheathed claws. Goldenpaw reached down to snap its neck but Luckypaw was there first.

Goldenpaw let go, annoyed that Luckypaw had stolen her kill. She expressed her frustration to her sister who slapped her tail over Goldenpaw's mouth. Irritation filled her and she sat there, fuming quietly.

"Congrats," Hollyleaf encouraged them, making Goldenpaw perk up a bit. Hollyleaf was a senior warrior, and greatly respected. Luckypaw drew herself up in pride.

We're kin, Goldenpaw realized. Hollyleaf was Lionblaze's sister. "Thank you," she said, dipping her head to the senior warrior.

As the sun set, the hunting patrol wearily dragged themselves back to camp. Goldenpaw dropped a squirrel onto the prey pile, while Luckypaw added her blackbird and a rabbit. It's not fair. Luckypaw caught more than me.

"Nice catch," Brambleclaw purred. "Every cat will have something to eat today, which is rare this deep in leaf-bare."

Luckypaw yawned but the day was not yet over. "Let's go." Goldenpaw nudged her sister towards the nursery. They changed the bedding and fed the queens and kits. Finally, having hunted for the Clan and done their apprentice duties, they could get some food and sleep.

Goldenpaw chewed on a juicy piece of rabbit while Luckypaw picked over a squirrel. Eventually, Luckypaw decided to head to her nest. Goldenpaw, angered that her sister hadn't stayed with her to finish eating, swallowed the rest of her rabbit before following Luckypaw into the den.

"It's certainly been a good day," Luckypaw murmured before dropping into sleep.

Goldenpaw had more trouble falling asleep. She pricked her ears. Cloudtail and Brackenfur were on guard duty. Hollyleaf was sniffing around the prey pile; she picked up Luckypaw's blackbird and took it to the warrior's den to eat. A pang of jealousy flew through Goldenpaw, but she shook it off.

Firestar was in the leader's den with his mate, Sandstorm. Brambleclaw was with them; he was reporting. Eventually, she drifted off into dreams.

"Hello," Goldenpaw said to a pale tabby with dark stripes. "I don't know you, are you from ThunderClan?"

He smirked, then flicked his tail, signaling for her to follow him.

"Wait up!" Goldenpaw mewed.

She scrambled after the tabby. "What's your name," Goldenpaw said, panting.

"My name is Eaglesight." The tabby answered, annoyed.

He led her to a dark forest.

"Would you like some mushrooms?" He smiled widely. "They are delicious," he added, flicking his tail at a clump of mushrooms growing underneath a tree that she recognized to be called the Tall Oak. Luckypaw had pointed it out that day, she remembered. Another point for her and zero for me.

Goldenpaw felt a sensation pulling her to them and she clawed up one and gobbled it down, even though it tasted foul. All of a sudden, she felt sick. Eaglesight shimmered and disappeared.

"No! Wait! I'm feeling sick!" she yowled.

Goldenpaw collapsed onto the ground, squirming. Images flashed through her mind; a dark cave, Eaglesight offering the mushrooms, the sick feeling.

"Wake up!" Luckypaw pushed Goldenpaw. "You've been yowling and screaming in your sleep," she muttered anxiously.

Goldenpaw sat straight. "I don't feel sick anymore," she said wondrously.

"What?" Luckypaw asked, questionably.

"N-never mind." Goldenpaw grunted as Fogpaw came in. His paws were covered in dirt and mud and he had a strange scent on him. "Tell you later,"

"Fogpaw, where have you been?" Luckypaw hissed suspiciously. "You stink of ShadowClan."

"Night patrol," Fogpaw responded sharply.

"But you weren't at the WindClan border, you were at the ShadowClan border," Luckypaw pressed.

"Just leave me alone!" he screeched.

Goldenpaw shrugged, it wasn't her problem. She let Luckypaw deal with it. However, as she stumbled out of the den, the same sick feeling came over her. A voice called, Goldenpaw... warn them... warn them...

Squirrelflight and Whitewing were going out looking for herbs for Jayfeather. Follow them! The voice commanded.

Scrambling to her paws, she followed them into the woods. The trees looked familiar, and then she realized. It's the forest in my dream! Which means...they're going to find the mushrooms! Goldenpaw dashed ahead just to see Squirrelflight picking up the mushroom she had dropped in her dream...

So that's the first chapter! A quick note: this is set after Omen of the Stars but a lot of the characters who died in the past series are still alive. Just if you were confused. 

Also, if you have read this fully, please comment something in the comments below, it can be just 'hi' but it would really help me to know that people are reading this story.

EDIT: hello! It's future Lucky here- right now it's 6/18/22 and I'm currently rewriting/editing this story. It's just a method of improving. It has the same storyline, but i'll just be making it better.  Author notes with bold and underlines will be new a/ns, while the others are the old ones.