Nightkit and the other kits awoke in the nursery, yawning and stretching. Their mothers were busy grooming them, making sure their fur was clean and tidy.

Shadowkit, nightkit, and fawnkits mother, Scargaze flicked her ear "be still, don't squirm, I can't make you presentable if you keep moving around"

The other kits were also getting the same treatment from their own mothers, being groomed and fussed over.

Shadowkit squirmed away, wrapping his tail around his tucked paws "I can clean my own pelt ya know!"

Scargaze mumbled irritably "Oh be still and let me clean your mangy fur! Your next nightkit"

Nightkit growled "oh we're never going to become apprentices at this rate!"

The other kits were also getting restless, annoyed at the constant grooming and nagging from their mothers

Fawnkit flattened herself dramatically on the ground "why does this take so long to do?? I wanna be an apprentice now!"

Scargaze huffed "you'll wait until your clean and tidy like every other clan cat before you get to be an apprentice! You don't want to go on the high rock looking like a ruffled squirrel do you!?"

The kits grumbled and whined, clearly impatient to be done with all the fussing

Shadowkit puffed out his cheek fur in irritation "I don't see what the big deal is! It's just a little bit of fur, it's not that important!"

Nightkit added "Yeah! Who cares if our fur is a little messy or a bit scruffy"

Their mothers all shot the kits sharp looks, their eyes filled with warnings to behave

A sudden yowl from Nightstar arose from the clearing "Let all cats old enough to catch there own prey, gather around the high rock for a clan meeting!"

Scargaze flicked her tail, and fawnkit, shadowkit, and nightkit following behind her while the other mothers led their kits

Fawnkits tail swished in anticipation "oh this is gonna be amazing, I wonder who our mentors will be! I'm gonna be so mad if I get Sandrunner!"

The kits and all the other cats in the clan gathered around the high rock, their heads tilting with curiosity, wondering what Nightstar was calling upon them for.

Fawnkit whispered to the others "I'm so excited that we're becoming apprentices!

Shadowkit flicked his ear "I hope I don't get Sandrunner as my mentor, I'd rather crawl up a tree backwards than get stuck with a mangy flea-brain like her"

Nightkit scoffed "id rather attack five hungry badgers! That mouse brain got us in trouble! I'll never forgive her."

Wingedkit purred "hey! At least if any of us get her as a mentor, we won't get into trouble for trying to claw her ears off , since it will be battle training!" She unsheathed a tiny claw

The other kits let out a soft mews of agreement, imagining themselves doing just that. Their eyes gleamed with a bit of mischief

The leader Nightstar stood tall on the high rock, his head held high, looking out at all of the cats gathered below him

He meowed, his voice strong and commanding "Today is a special day for us all"

Shadowkit felt excitement and anticipation bubbling up inside him, he flicked his ears and watched, leaning towards nightkit "he's gonna call one of us up first! I hope it's me!"

Nightstar's voice boomed across the clearing as he continued his announcement "Today, all the kits in the clan will be becoming apprentices, and each and every one of you..."

A chorus of excited yowls rang out from the crowd, the other cats excited for the new apprentices

Fawnkit couldn't hold back her excitement and yipped "yippee!! Im so excited!"

Shadowkit huffed and flattened his ears, sitting back as to not be scolded by his own mother. He looked up at Nightstar with wide, excited eyes, waiting for who he would call up first

Nightstar slowly looked over the gathering, and then called out with a loud meow "Shadowkit, step forward"

Shadowkit's eyes widened, excitement and nervousness swirling through him

He shakily stood up, his legs feeling a bit wobbly

He slowly padded forward to the base of the high rock, his tail held high and his head tilted up to look at nightstar

Nightstar looked down at the tiny kit in front of him, a tiny smile on his maw, his blue eyes gleaming

He spoke, his voice clear and loud so the whole gathered clan could hear.

"Shadowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to become an apprentice."

Shadowkit pricked his ears, standing up straighter, his heart fluttering with excitement.

He could faintly hear a chorus of yowls and mews from the clan, but he was focused solely on the words of the leader as he spoke

Nightstar continued "From this day on, you shall be known as Shadowpaw until you recieve your warrior name. You must learn the ways of the clan, and learn from your mentor to become a great warrior."

Shadowkit nodded slightly, shaking, his paws hardly holding onto the firm rock, Nightstar gazed around the gathered cats and finally meowed solemnly

"Wolfstripe , you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Curltail, and you have shown yourself to be Devoted and Kind. You will be the mentor of Shadowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Shadowpaw."

Shadowkit nodded, and let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Sandrunner wasn't, infact his mentor. He turned and pressed his nose against Wolfstripes, and trotted down back by his mother, waiting for who was next. "Thank starclan I'm not Sandrunners apprentice!" He meowed in relief

Nods of agreement came from the other kits, all having the same relief that he had. The all glanced up at Nightstar waiting for who he would call up next

Nightstar's eyes scanned the kits before he meowed loudly "Nightkit, Step forward"

Shadowkit watched as his brother leaped onto the high rock, and walked over to the leader, he guessed that Nightkit must be just as nervous as he was.

"Nightkit, From this day on, you shall be known as Nightpaw until you receive your warrior name. You must learn the ways of the clan, and learn from your mentor to become a great warrior."

Shadowkit saw the mix of anticipation and nervousness in his brothers eyes, he knew just as much as Fawnkit did, that Sandrunner was on his mind

Shadowkit watched his brother stand before the leader, awaiting the announcement of his mentor, and as Nightstar looked down, Nightkit shifted nervously, his eyes wide, his tail flicking, praying that he wouldn't say his least favorite name

Shadowkit held his breath, his paws feeling like they're made of stone. He turned his eyes back up to the leader, listening to the next words that came from his mouth

An agonizingly long pause passed, the leader looking as if he was contemplating his words, Nightkit and the gathered clan holding their breaths

Eventually, Nightstar spoke, his meows sending a chill through the clearing, as if he was reading minds

"Sandrunner, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Swiftleap, and you have shown yourself to be Intelligent and strong You will be the mentor of Nightpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Nightpaw."

Exited news rose from the clearing, and shadowkit felt a pang of shock and sympathy rush through him "oh starclan..." He whispered to himself, he looked at every other kit, who was just as shocked, and he watched as nightkit begrudgingly pressed his muzzle against Sandrunner and jumped down, walking over to them hissing "why did i have to get her! Starclan only knows I was the one who didn't want her the most!"

Shadowkit meowed sympathetically "I'm so sorry Nightkit! Maybe she won't be as bad as you think!"

Fawnkit and the other kits all shared looks of sympathy, but shadowkit could tell they were all so glad they didn't get her as their mentor

Nightkit puffed out his cheek fur, glaring at Sandrunner "Are you kidding! Her idea of teaching is probably just tearing my ears off!"

Shadowkit tried to reassure his brother "maybe she'll surprise you! She can't be all bad right?"

Nightkit growled "can you name one thing good about her?"

Shadowkit was silent, only because he couldn't think of a single thing

Shadowkit flinched as he heard nightkit let our an irritable sigh, and mew to himself to quiet for shadowkit to make out, so he lifted his attention to Nightstar who waited for the congratulating yowls to die down and scanned the other kits

The leader meowed loudly, silencing the gathered cats and drawing their attention back to the apprentices

Nightstar called out "Fawnkit, step forward!"

Shadowkit watched as Fawnkit stood up and padded towards the high rock, her blackish brown tabby tail swishing in anticipation as she stepped into the stone that shadowkit remembered to feel like ice against his paws

fawnkit stopped before Nightstar and looked up at him, waiting for him to speak

Nightstar looked down at her and spoke, his voice strong and firm "Fawnkit, From this day on, you shall be known as Fawnpaw until you recieve your warrior name. You must learn the ways of the clan, and learn from your mentor to become a great warrior."

Fawnkit nodded, her tail flickering and a sparkle in her eye as she listened to the leaders next words

Nightstar continued "Oakfall, You are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Hailheart, and you have shown yourself to be Understanding and Wise. You will be the mentor of Fawnpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Fawnpaw."

Oakfall was waiting at the bottom of the stone, gazing up at FawnPaw with a loud rumbling purr

Fawnpaw trotted down from the high rock and walked to her mentor, touching her nose to his, she let out a quick mewl of excitement before standing next to the shadowkit and nightkit

"Your lucky you get such a good mentor." Nightkit snarled

Fawnkit purred "I knowww! I'm so excited to learn from him!"

Shadowkit rolled his eyes "yeah yeah, you can stop bragging now"

Fawnkit hissed softly, her eyes glistening with excitement "Oh hush, I'm allowed to be happy I got such a good mentor!"

nightkit muttered "yeah yeah whatever... you don't have to rub it in!"

Fawnkit puffed out her cheek fur "I'm not rubbing it in!! I'm just excited is all"

Shadowkit looked up to see that Rainkit was called forward, and had jumped on the high rock and immediately shut his maw

*Shadowkit watched as Rainkit stood in front of the leader, his face filled with excitement and anxiousness*

Nightstar looked down upon rainkit before speaking, his voice firm and loud "Rainkit, From this day on, you shall be known as Rainpaw until you recieve your warrior name. You must learn the ways of the clan, and learn from your mentor to become a great warrior."

Rainkit nodded, his tail twitching in excitement at the words of the leader, he was practically vibrating with anticipation

Nightstar continued "Riverstripe, You are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Lionclaw, and you have shown yourself to be Fierce and Protective. You will be the mentor of Rainpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Rainpaw."

Rainkit nodded, then jumped down, touching noses with Riverstripe, and running back quickly, to sit down by the others, his tail swishing quickly "I'm so excited! I wonder what we are gonna train about after this!"

Scargaze shot them a fierce look "shut your maws."

"Wingedkit, step forward." Nightstar meowed flicking his tail

The blind she cat stood up and padded silently to the high rock, not stumbling a single time despite her blindness, she stopped in front of the leader and listened to his meow

Nightstar looked down to her, his eyes seeming kinder than usual "Wingedkit, From this day on, you shall be known as Wingedpaw until you recieve your warrior name. You must learn the ways of the clan, and learn from your mentor to become a great warrior."

Wingedkit nodded, her expression neutral. Despite not being able to see, she seemed to know the leader was looking at her, her ears flicked up towards him to show she was listening, a loud purr rumbled deep in her throat

Nightstar spoke once more, his meows as loud as ever "SpiritStrike, You are ready to take on an apprentice. You have recieved excellent training from LynxTail, and you have shown yourself to be Wise and Intelligent. You will be the mentor of Wingedpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Wingedpaw."

Shadowkit watched as the she cat nodded and used her other senses to locate SpiritStrike, and touch noses with him, padding towards the other kits.

Fawnkit purred loudly "our dad has an apprentice!"
Nightkit mewed dryly in response "well good for Wingedkit! I get some lousy warrior."

Shadowkit felt a pang of sympathy "sorry nightkit..we don't mean to brag..!" Nightkit shook his fur "it's okay, I just don't want that piece of fox dung as a mentor!"

"Hey maybe she will let us train together!"
Fawnkit yipped in excitement, before looking back up to see yellowkit in the middle of getting his apprentice ceremony

".....yellowpaw until you recieve your warrior name. You must learn the ways of the clan, and learn from your mentor to become a great warrior."

Yellowpaws paws where shifting in excitement as he listened

Yellowkit could barley pay attention to a word nightstar was saying, his excitement was bursting out of him as he waited for his mentor to be named. His face was stuck in a wide grin as the leader spoke

"Snowfall, You are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Tansyheart, and you have shown yourself to be Kind and Intelligent. You will be the mentor of Yellowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Yellowpaw."

Yellowpaw burst down, running over to the cream white she cat, and pressing his nose against her, trotting back over to the other cats in excitement

"Skipkit, step forward." Nightstar meowed superiorly as Skipkit leaped up, her tail swishing quickly

Skipkit padded over to the high rock and sat in front of the leader, her eyes glistening in anticipation, her paws shifting occasionally

Nightstar looked down to the small kitty, and spoke in a firm voice

"Skipkit, From this day on, you shall be known as Skippaw until you recieve your warrior name. You must learn the ways of the clan, and learn from your mentor to become a great warrior."

Skipkit nodded, her eyes glued to the leader, her tail swishing quickly like the other young apprentices, she purred loudly as nightstar continued, her ears straining to hear his next words

Nightstar meowed "Stormstep, You are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Blackfang, and you have shown yourself to be Smart and Quick-Thinking. You will be the mentor of Skippaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Skippaw."

The younger she cat leaped down in excitement, but made her way over calmly, brushing her nose against her mentors then sitting by the others

"And lastly... Fernkit, step forward"

The she cat burst in excitement, shadowkit guessed she would have burst if she wasn't called up for another second, as she jumped onto the rock

Fernkit nodded, her eyes shimmering in excitement. Her body was vibrating as if she could explode at any moment

"Fernkit, From this day on, you shall be known as Fernpaw until you receive your warrior name. You must learn the ways of the clan, and learn from your mentor to become a great warrior."

Nightstar seemed to notice Fernkits excitement and spoke once more, his meows almost amused

"Stoneclaw You are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Sandrunner, and you have shown yourself to be Loyal and Responsible. You will be the mentor of Fernpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Fernpaw."

The she cat rushed up and brushed noses with stoneclaw, before hearing Nightstar meow

"All cats are dismissed."

Shadowpaw watched Nightstar as he leaped off of the high rock and turned around, looking at nightpaw and fawnpaw "this is the start of our apprenticeship!"