Pheonixkit pawed at her new toy happily, enjoying it. Something about the feather cheered her up. It was like a brush of sunlight on her cheek on a cool morning. The other kits played beside her, hissing and tumbling, but she didn't need them. They didn't like her anyways.

"C'mon Pheonixkit, stop brushing your fur against the feather and play!" said Riverkit.

"You're just jealous," scoffed Pheonixkit.

"Am not." Riverkit spat.

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Rainkit, the oldest kit in the nursery, pushed them both aside. "C'mon, don't fight like this. Why can't you be more quiet, like Silverkit and Windkit?" She said, gesturing to the two kits to find they weren't there. "Oh great, Starheart's going to KILL me."

"I'll help you find them!" piped up Riverkit.

"Me too!" said Pheonixkit, eager not to be outdone, "I'm betterer at helping."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"Are-"

"CAN IT!" hissed Rainkit, rushing past both of them.

The two kits sulked off, each going in their own direction.

Pheonixkit stumbled past Wolfheart, the oldest warrior in camp. "Hi, Wolfheart."

"What are you doing, little kit?"

"Oh... just getting prey. I sure am hungry!"

"Do you want me to get some for you?" asked Wolfheart tentatively.

"Ohnosorrygottagobye!" Pheonixkit zipped by him, just in time to see two tiny tails dissapear out of camp. In hot pursuit, Pheonixkit ran through the forest, but lost them. Tracing the scent, her nose lead her to a holly tree where Rainkit sat next to the two kits in utter terror.

"I don't feel good," Silverkit announced. Red berry smeared her lips.

"This is bad, this is very, verrry bad." Rainkit said, worried.

Just then, Riverkit burst through a bush.

"I told you I was betterer at helping." Pheonixkit said smugly.

"Well, I-"

"This isn't the time for this!" Rainkit yelled. "Here, I'll carry Silverkit. Pheonixkit, you carry Windkit. We need to get back to camp, now."

The three kits ran back to camp as fast as their stubby legs could carry them.

"Swallowfern!" yelled Rainkit, dropping the kit near the front of Swallowfern's den. "We need your help!"

Swallowfern came out, fixing her green eyes on the mewling silver bag of fur Rainkit had dropped before her. "Deathberries." she said, sounding just as terrified as Rainkit. "He needs to come in right away."

Rainkit followed her in, watching in awe as Silverkit ate the yellow yarrow and threw up the poison.

Windkit stumbled in after, gazing wide-eyed at his sister. "What did they taste like?"

Silverkit replied, "War. At first, they tasted sweet, but then they were sour all the way down to the hard, broken center."

Everyone stared at the kit for a second, and then, Windkit mewed, "I don't get it."

The next day, Rainkit was jumping up and down in her nest. Pheonixkit groaned and walked over to her, but before she could say a word Rainkit ran circles around her. "She said I could, she's gonna take me in, I'm so happy!"

"Who?"

"I'm gonna be a medicine cat!"

"What?"

"Come on! Ceremony's gonna be any minute!"

Rainkit ran by Pheonixkit, who followed tiredly after her.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather below me for a clan meeting!" Moonstar yowled, waking up the entire camp.

Young cats rushed past Pheonixkit, who stumbled to rest in between Rainkit's mother, Petalmist, and her father, Stormmind. They were looking on, purring, as the tiny kit bounced with joy before Moonstar.

"Today, a young kit will go down the road of learning, healing, and helping others. Rainkit, are you sure you want to become a medicine cat?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I do!"

"Then come forwards."

Rainkit ran up the rock to the point where she was almost touching Moonstar and Swallowfern, who was sitting up there besides her. Lightningstrike, the deputy and Moonstar's mate, sat a bit to the right, smiling in amusement.

"From this day on, you shall be known as Rainpaw. Swallowfern will teach you the ways of a medicine cat."

Rainpaw nodded, touching noses with Swallowfern and bumping her jaw by accident. Swallowfern smiled and said nothing, ignoring the slight pain of biting her tongue.

Pheonixkit watched on in interest, thinking to herself, "Someday, it will be my turn... and I will be the best apprentice ever!"