Applepaw and Longface stood still, glaring at each other menacingly, both in an attacking position, poised to strike. It had been a moon and a half since Applepaw became an apprentice, and she only got visited by the mysterious Flightkit once. She had informed her in that empty voice of hers that it(what 'it' was, Applepaw did not know) was going to be soon last night.

    Longface pounced across the wide clearing to Applepaw, letting out a threatening growl.  Applepaw easily dodged the slim warrior with a side jump. She landed and, without a moment to spare, smiled widely and barreled into Longface's side. Longface let out a loud grunt and collapsed from the blow with Applepaw standing over him like a villain.

      "Well done," Longface meowed while stumbling to his paws and ruffling his fur to clean the dirt from it. Applepaw proudly smiled, waving her tail in victory. Longface purred and cuffed her ear, padded back to his spot, and got ready to attack.

     Before they could go over the move one more time, Longface halted, raising his muzzle and stood straight, his eyes widening. His mouth was slightly agape and his tail was lashing. His body read one language: fear. A nasty stench met Applepaw's nose, and she reared back, spitting on the dirt ground. "Yuck! What is that smell?!" The smell reminded Applepaw of the elder's den... Old, and nasty!

     "Badger," Longface muttered, flicking his frightened stare to Applepaw. Applepaw folded her ears back on her head. What was one of those foul beasts doing here? She had heard legends and stories about badgers, and the destruction they caused to all four clans. Some destruction was even bad enough to bring all the clans together.

     "It's an old scent, about a day or two. We don't need to worry, but we should warn Doestar." Doestar was the leader of ThunderClan, a tall, brown-and-white she-cat with darker spots. She was a very serious and wouldn't take this news lightly.

     Applepaw nodded slightly in agreement. But, in Applepaw's silent opinion, if anyone had to know, it was Specklenight. Specklenight was connected to StarClan, and she almost always got all signs that she received in a flash. Maybe the badger scent was a sign to not go to the Moonpool or something like that, due to it being a few fox-lengths away from said pool. Longface flicked his tail on Applepaw's nose and began to pace away towards the clan.

     Applepaw snapped to reality, and followed after the tom-cat after a few seconds of thinking. Longface and Applepaw had ventured near the MoonPool, and were heading along the path to the abandoned Twoleg shed in order to at least bring back something, then they would turn to head back to camp.

     Once they arrived at the shed, Longface pounced up on the rotting fence, snatching up a crow that Applepaw didn't even notice until it started trying to escape Longface's attack. He dropped to the ground and set down the half-dead crow. It struggled for breath, fluttered its wings, and "caw"ed a few times.

     "Kill it," Longface instructed the apprentice, prodding at the crow to push it towards her. Applekit located the vein in the neck, where to bite, how hard, yada yada, and killed it.

     They walked back to camp once again, stumbling through the thorny bramble entrance and piling the crow onto the pile which was stacked up a considerable amount. Longface immediately padded up to the leader's den to spill the news about the badger, but Specklenight, looking rather worried, padded next to him and shrugged into the den so rudely. Longface hissed at her, and slipped in.

     Applepaw just sat there next to the mouth of the leader's den, waiting to see what would happen. Doestar emerged from where she slept rather stubbornly, and climbed atop the HighRock above her den, calling out for a meeting. Longface pushed out, his face full of impatience. The cats slowly slid out of their dens to sit in the clearing and listen to Doestar. Doestar opened her mouth.

     "Specklenight has told me good news, and bad news." Longface pounced up next to Doestar, and muttered something in her ear, returning back down and sitting next to Applepaw after she gave a nod. Next to Doestar was her best bud, the deputy, Ferretbloom, a dusty brown she cat with blue eyes. "Longface just added onto the bad news."

     Murmurs of confusion and worry seeped in the crowd, then gradually silenced when Doestar let out a low meow. Everyone's ears perked. "Longface has told me there was a sniff of badger, about a day old, near the MoonPool. Be careful. Also..."

     She took an awfully long pause, causing everyone to lean forward like a Michael Jackson video, desperately gleaming at her for the answer. The silence was killing.

     "The prophecy has begun." An uproar of meows and nervous chitters began, and Doestar stared down at Applepaw with such a hatred to make anyone flee. She was so confused. What was going on? What prophecy? Why was Doestar mad at her? "Specklenight saw a rotted apple next to a dead mouse on her way to get catmint."

     Her voice lowered. All the attention turned on Applepaw, the voices still going on, but in a lower tone. She was burned to the bone will all the angered stares.

     "Applepaw's going to kill us all!" an elder yowled in his croaked voice, and the voices erupted in panic again, cats beginning to push further towards her. Applepaw turned to the crowd, her eyes widened, her heart thumping in her chest both from fright and confusion. She was cornered against the nursery in a matter of seconds. Her jaw stood agape, desperately trying to choke something out as an excuse, but nothing would come. She was just left to watch all the clan members practically attack her.

     Longface pounced and landed in front of her, his jaws snapping. "Stop!" he roared. Applepaw's heart fluttered when she realized Longface was risking his loyalty to her. He backed up slightly and whisked his tail on her paw to let her know it was okay. Doestar just sat up on the HighRock, watching the chaos. Her face was washed with curiosity.

     Longface was joined by Cheetahspots, who hissed to the crowd, her one good ear folding back, "You should all be ashamed! Applepaw is just an apprentice, it's not fair to instantly hate her! She didn't do anything! Even if she does something in the future, it's not her fault!" Applepaw was still very confused, what was the prophecy?!

     "Uhh... What's the prophecy?" Applepaw nervously mewed, slowly sitting down. Longface turned, guilt washed across his features, then began, "Applepaw, the prophecy is a doomsday promise. It said,

     "Seven, all in order, one after another, will bring death within their clan." Longface didn't turn as he muttered it in a foul tone. Applepaw's eyes widened. Was she part of this horrible prophecy? So many questions, too little answers! "Don't worry. Nothing will happen, Applepaw... Not yet." Those words rang through her mind, making her nauseous. Not yet. What did he mean by not yet? She was part of the prophecy, wasn't she?

     "We have to kick her out!" A queen pushed to the front, her eyes wide with anger. "Risingsun, you can't let your daughter bring chaos to our clan! Kick her out, kick her out!" Her face described rage and nervousness. Risingsun bore her fangs at the queen, Tundrawhisp, and slowly padded over to Applepaw, ignoring the harsh glares every cat sent her other than Longface and Cheetahspots. Those two just hissed at the clan and yowled at them.

     "Applepaw, be careful, please. Don't walk near dark... anything. Dark caves, dark hills, dark water, dark prey... Anything!" she mewed quietly to Applepaw, her eyes wide and round with fear.

     She pressed her muzzle against her daughter's, pulling away after a few seconds and rasping her tongue over her ear.

     Applepaw nodded gently, glancing down at the dirt ground of the clearing. Risingsun broke away and turned, part-limping part-walking to the crowd.The other cats went quiet, but still shot glares to Applepaw. "Meeting dismissed," Doestar yowled, pouncing down and slithering into her den without a word, followed by Ferretbloom.

     Applepaw sat there, the others beginning to scatter and meow to each other. She gently gritted her teeth. Her heart was still racing, blood pumping in her ears. Sorrow and confusion came in like a wave onto the apprentice.

     It's okay, Applepaw, nothing will happen... Not yet.