Emberkit's pelt ruffled slightly in excitement. He was now five moons old and ready to become an apprentice.

Everyone was on the island for the new moon gathering, and, though it was a bit crowded, Emberkit could see a few other kits also ready to become apprentices.

One of the great things about the Dark Forest taking over is that the new apprentices get to pick whoever they wanted to be their mentor.

"Everyone gather below the tree!" came Tigerstar's booming voice.

Fernkit, Shadowkit, and Emberkit all shared looks of excitement.

"It has come to the time that Willowkit of WindClan, Amberkit and Cloudkit of RiverClan, and Pouncekit, Hollykit, Lightkit, Sorrelkit, Fernkit, Shadowkit, and Emberkit of ThunderClanwill choose their mentors. Will you all please step forward?"

Emberkit and the rest of the kits padded towards the oak, their gazes all watching intently as Tigerstar leapt from the tree and looked each of them over.

"Willowkit," he said, standing in front of a gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes. "From this moment on, you shall be know as Willowpaw, you will select your mentor now."

Willowpaw nodded and looked at a ShadowClan tom, Owlclaw. "I pick Owlclaw," she stated.

Tigerstar nodded and sent her off. He looked at Amberpaw next, a huge cream-and-yellow tom with amber eyes. "Robinwing," he answered, almost immediately.

Tigerstar then looked at Cloudpaw, a cream she-cat with a white face, forepaws, tail tip, and green eyes.

"S-Scorchfur," she said shyly.

Emberkit didn't really pay attention to the rest, besides Fernpaw, who chose Cloudtail, and Shadowpaw, who chose Crowfrost.

Next, it was Emberpaw's turn. He looked around at the available warriors but found that his gaze was sneaking towards the Dark Forest side of the clearing.

He padded towards them, much to the shock of everyone in the clearing. Whispers aroused from the cat's as Emberpaw looked over the Dark Forest cats.

Mapleshade would be cool to have, but she seemed a little to rough, and Emberpaw wanted to survive more than a few days of training. All the other warriors would have been cool too, but Emberpaw found his attention drawn to Ivypool. He knew his aunt always fascinated him, but this time it was different, he felt drawn to her in a way.

"Ivypool," he said, not really thinking.

Tigerstar started to growl, but Ivypool held her tail up, signalling for the tabby tom to stay quiet.

Ivypool padded forward. "What makes you think you deserve to be my apprentice?" she asked, beginning to circle him.

"I don't think I deserve it," he said, his eyes following her. "But I want to be the best warrior I can, and I think you can give it to me."

"Well, I'll make you deal," Ivypool said, stopping. "If you can prove to me that you're worth my time, you can be my apprentice. But, prove wrong, you are exiled from the clans."

Emberpaw felt his heart pound. I've only got one shot, he thought. Let's make it count.

Emberpaw nodded. "I accept your terms."

"No!" Dovewing yowled, she tried to run towards Emberpaw, but Tigerheart held her back.

Emberpaw stood up and he and Ivypool began to circle each other. He'd watched Ivypool fight and win against other Dark Forest members, including Thistleclaw and Brokenstar.

Emberpaw kept his pelt flat like she did, and he made sure to remember the moves he'd watched her preform.

They circled for a long time before Ivypool lunged at him.

Emberpaw' eyes widened and he dodged out of the way in a nick of time.

Ivypool wasn't usually the first to attack, she waited for the other cat to lunge first, but Emberpaw guessed she was doing it different because he was younger.

Spinning around, he lunged at her, managing to make her stumble, but before he could attack again, the silver and white she-cat swung a paw at him. Emberpaw dodged, but he could feel a stinging pain and a warm stream of blood coming from his left ear.

Ivypool lunged again, and managed to pin Emberpaw to the ground.

Emberpaw knew she would win, but he wouldn't give up. The black tom pummeled her stomach with his hind claws, feeling a bit of blood drip from her stomach.

Ivypool hissed in annoyance and used one of her paws to knock the side of Emberpaw's head, causing stars to explode in his vision. Ivypool put a paw in his neck and added pressure, making it hard to breath. Emberpaw growled deep in his throat, and started clawing fiercely at Ivypool's chest. This failed, and black began to creep from the edges of his vision.

Faintly, he heard a shout. "No" he thought it said, but he wasn't sure.

Suddenly, the weight was removed from his neck, and he took a deep breath of refreshening air.

Gasping, the black tom looked up at Ivypool, shame apparent on his face.

Emberpaw couldn't believe it. He was a rogue now. What would he do? He knew a lot of battle moves, but he still needed to prefect them. And he knew hardly any hunting moves, the cats only fought down in the tunnels, they never hunted.

I'm going to die before I reach size moons, he thought solemnly in his head. The black tom stood up, and was about to admit defeat when:

"I accept you as my apprentice," Ivypool said.

Emberpaw froze, his panting stopping as his breath caught in his throat.

"W-Why?" he stuttered, finally finding his voice.

Ivypool purred. "I said you had to prove to me that you were worth my time. I didn't say you had to beat me. You kept fighting even when you knew you would lose, that make you worth the while."

Emberpaw forgot about the stinging of his ear and the soreness of his throat for just a second.

"Emberpaw, from this day forth, you are my apprentice."