Chapter 1

Cherrykit bounced excitedly next to her sister, Rosekit. 

"We're finally becoming apprentices!" Rosekit chirped. Cherrykit nodded happily. Flowershine, the kits' mother, looked at her daughter sternly. 

"Kits, you are the leader's kin! You must behave yourselves." Cherrykit lowered her head. She hated being scolded by her mother. 

"Yes, Flowershine." Rosekit and Cherrykit said at the same time. Flowershine gently licked them both on the head, smoothing their fur. 

"I'm so proud of you." She whispered to them. "Now, let's go into the clearing." Cherrykit obediently followed her mother into the clearing. Cherrykit and Rosekit's friends, Blazekit and Longkit, looked jealousy at them. Cherrykit heard Blazekit say to her mother, 

"Why can't we be apprentices? It's not fair!" Gingerfur, her mother, cuffed her softly on the head. 

"Maybe when you stop acting like a kit! It's only one more moon." Longkit groaned (he was quite the dramatic cat), 

"A moon feels like a whole leaf-bare!" Gingerfur rolled her eyes, and turned to her mate, Grayspot, nuzzling him fondly. Cherrykit looked away from them, and spotted her father, Smokestar, a magnificent dark grey tom with a lighter grey underbelly. She stared at him in awe. 

I wanna be just like him! She thought. 

"Cats of Thunderclan," Smokestar started, his voice clear and deep, "we gather here today to welcome two new Thunderclan apprentices. Rosekit, please step forward." Cherrypaw felt a pang of jealousy and sadness mixed together. Smokestar favored Rosekit; it was obvious. Little things, like always bringing her the bigger piece of fresh-kill, offering to play moss-ball with her instead of Cherrykit, and like just now, when he asked her to come before Cherrykit. Cherrykit loved her sister more than anything- they were best friends, after all- but always felt overlooked because of Rosepaw's stunning cream and white coat. Cats did a double-take when they saw her, meanwhile Cherrykit was just pushed to the side with her ordinary calico coat. Rosekit was Smokestar's pride and joy, while Cherrykit was... just another kit. 

But that was fine by her, because all that mattered then was becoming an apprentice. 

"Rosekit, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Rosepaw. Rabbitnose will be your mentor. I trust her to train you well." Rabbitnose, a pretty light brown she-cat with amber eyes, stepped forward, touching noses with Rosekit- Rosepaw. Cherrykit felt nervous and excited and scared all at the same time as Smokestar called her up to the Highrock. 

"Cherrykit, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Cherrypaw. Cloudfoot will be your mentor. I know he will train you well as he did many other apprentices." Smokestar bent down, and whispered in Cherrypaw's ear, "Make me proud." Cherrypaw nodded solemnly, then felt her heart leap. Cloudfoot padded toward Cherrypaw, his blue eyes shining. The light grey tom had mentored lots of great Thunderclan warriors, including Icetail and the former kittypet, Soot. Cherrypaw scampered off of Highrock, and toward Rosepaw, who was standing by her new mentor. 

"This is amazing!" Rosepaw purred, brushing up against Cherrypaw. Cherrypaw nodded.

"Yeah!" She responded joyfully. Cloudfoot appeared behind them, and said, 

"So, if Rabbitnose is okay with it, how about we take you two on a tour of the territory?" 

"YES!" They both shouted at the same time. 

                                                                                        ~*~

The tour was amazing. Cherrypaw trotted over to the nursery, then realized she wasn't sleeping there anymore. 

I wonder if Flowershine will miss me, she thought. She might just miss Flowershine. Cherrypaw joined Rosepaw and the other apprentices, Snowpaw, Brookpaw, and Spotpaw. Rosepaw motined for Cherrypaw to come over with her tail. She was chatting with Snowaw and Brookpaw, already making friends. Very Rosepaw. 

"Hey, Cherrypaw! Brookpaw was just telling me about the time she fought off a fox!" Rosepaw exclaimed. Spotpaw rolled his green eyes, muttering, 

"That's exaggerating. Jawclaw and Ravenfur were there, too." Brookpaw flicked her tail. 

"Yeah, yeah, Anyway, the fox was a HUGE, ugly one with a ton of scars and, like, ten claws on each paw-" 

"Foxes have four claws on each paw, mousebrain." Spotpaw interrupted. Brookpaw swatted him playfully, and continued. 

"So, the fox charged at me, but I dodged it AND sunk my claws into it's ear, and it was all-" Cherrypaw ignored Brookpaw and her (probably not true) story, and snuggled into the fresh moss nest.