"Thistlepaw, you shall now be known as Thistlepatch, StarClan honors your bravery and kind heart," Ashstar meowed. He stretched his neck forward to touch noses with the newly made warrior. 

Amberpaw was next, then Slatepaw. Snowpaw had already earned his name: Snowbreeze

"Amberpaw, you shall now be known as Ambertuft. StarClan honors your skills," Ashstar meowed, touching noses with her. He finally turned to Slatepaw. 

"Slatepaw, you've been the Clan's greatest help. You've been helping Flower a lot and you've been training with our new cats," Ashstar purred. "You shall now be known as Slateheart. StarClan honors your brave and kind heart," Ashstar meowed, touching noses with her. 

"Snowbreeze! Thistlepatch! Ambertuft! Slateheart!" The Clan cheered. 

Ashstar moved on to his three kits standing behind the four newly made warriors. 

"Palekit, Moonkit, Smallkit, it's time that you finally became apprentices," Ashstar purred. Happiness burst in his chest. 

"Palekit, from this day on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Palepaw," Ashstar meowed, touching noses with her. He moved to his son, Smallkit. "Smallkit, from this day on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Smallpaw," Ashstar meowed, touching his nose to his son's nose. Finally, he reached Moonkit, the biggest of the three. "Moonkit, from this day on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Moonpaw," Ashstar meowed, touching noses with his daughter. 

All apprentices looked as if they would burst with happiness. Their eyes shone with delight and their tails thumped the ground happily.

"Jaywing, I think it's time for you to have an apprentice," Ashstar meowed, flicking his tail for her to come up to the High Ledge. 

Jaywing climbed the rocks and padded over to him, her tail held high in the air. 

"Jaywing, you will be the mentor of Palepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to this apprentice," Ashstar meowed, flicking his tail. He watched as Jaywing touched noses with Palepaw, then Ashstar turned and looked over the crowd of cats. A ginger she-cat stood out to him.

"Squirrelflight, I think it's time you had another apprentice," Ashstar pointed out, flicking his tail. 

Squirrelflight stepped out of the crowd, a surprised look on her face. 

"Squirrelflight, you will be the mentor of Smallpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to this apprentice," Ashstar meowed. He purred as he watched his son pad over to Squirrelflight. The two of them touched noses. 

"Fluffypelt," Ashstar called out. 

Fluffypelt stepped from the crowd. Her tail flicked as she climbed the rocks and padded over to Ashstar. 

"Fluffypelt, you will be the mentor of Moonpaw, and I know you will pass on your knowledge to this apprentice," Ashstar meowed. Fluffypelt reminded Ashstar of his other daughter, Softpaw. She was killed before she even turned into a warrior. Flashbacks started to play in Ashstar's mind. 

/Flashback/

Wolfpaw slashed Softpaw's throat, Her scream of terror was cut off as blood instantly streamed from the gash. Her bright green eyes dulled and she slumped on the ground, blood pooling around her. 

/End of flashback/

Ashstar snapped back into reality, hearing his Clanmates cheer the apprentices' names. He felt dizzy and felt feverish. His vision clouded and he felt shaky on his paws, like he was swaying. 

"Ashstar, are you ok?" A voice made Ashstar bristle. 

Ashstar looked up to see Cinderheart. 

"You should be congratulating your kits," Cinderheart pointed out.

Ashstar closed his eyes. He felt as if he couldn't talk. "Oh....I," He mumbled, the dizzy feeling taking him over. "Know," Ashstar finished in a choking sound. His vision darkened and he slumped on the ground. 

Ashstar woke up in the medicine den, feelings his own body heat. His heart was jumping in his throat, and his chest felt tight. 

"Ashstar!" Twistedpaw meowed. He jumped towards him. 

"Twistedpaw?" Ashstar muttered. He remembered that the tom had gone to the MoonCave to earn his full medicine cat name. Ashstar was never told his new name though. 

"It's Twistedfoot now," Twistedpaw informed him. "What happened?" He asked. 

"I don't know," Ashstar choked out. He felt a burning feeling rise in his throat. 

Twistedfoot put a paw on Ashstar's forehead. "A fever. Just as I'd thought," He meowed. He turned. "Mothstripe! Are you back with the wet moss yet?" He called.

"I'm here!" A muffled voice came from outside the den. 

Besides Mothstripe's muffled voice, Ashstar could hear anxious murmuring outside. All of a sudden, burning liquid pushed its way up Ashstar's throat. He opened his jaws and started to vomit all over the floor of the medicine den. It was a disgusting color and spread in waves, it even touched Twistedfoot's paw. 

Twistedfoot's eyes widened and he jumped back. "Mothstripe! He vomited!"

Mothstripe burst through the den entrance. "Great StarClan, it's a river of cats out there!" She hissed. She padded over to Ashstar. She avoided his puddle of vomit and dropped the wet moss beside him. 

"He needs to be taken to the river and wash off. We don't need him vomiting all over the medicine den," Mothstripe meowed. Her amber eyes flashed. "Can you get up, or do you need our help?" She asked.

Ashstar's mind felt blank. There was a moment of silence, except for the quiet murmur of anxious voices outside the den. A paw touched his head. 

"Hey, Ashstar?" Mothstripe prompted. She seemed to have an irritated tone in her voice.

Ashstar wished Alderheart were here. He felt rage building inside him. A rage he couldn't control. He leaped up, feeling his paws slip in his own vomit. He turned and glared at Mothstripe. "Don't be irritated with me!" He hissed. He unsheathed his claws. 

Mothstripe's eyes brightened with fear. "Ashstar!" She gasped.

Ashstar leaped on her, slashing at her ear. He tore through her ear and winced as blood leaped out at his face, stinging his eye. 

A gray shape faded beside Ashstar. His throat was cut open and his amber eyes glowed. He looked at Ashstar with happiness in his eyes. "Kill her," He growled in a whisper. 

Another shape faded beside Ashstar. A golden tom with amber eyes and scars all over his body. His throat was also cut open and bleeding slightly. When his blood hit the ground, it stayed there. Were these cats real?  Ashstar couldn't even tell since he was sick. 

Ashstar recognized these cats. Rowandust and Wolffang! What were they doing here? 

Rowandust glared at Mothstripe. "Kill her!" He hissed. 

Ashstar couldn't do it. He regained control over his body and stepped away from Mothstripe. He turned and shoved past Twistedfoot. He slipped in his vomit and shot from the den. He shoved past all the cats that were crowded around the den. He caught a glimpse of Jaywing's horrified face. He shot across the camp and towards the entrance, feeling his chest get tighter. 

Ashstar slumped on the ground. The quiet murmur of the river filled Ashstar's ears. He got to his paws and padded over to the river and vomited again. He moved farther up river and took a drink. He lifted his head, feeling dizzy. He sat down, then felt a tail touch his shoulder. Had some cat followed him here? Jaywing? Mothstripe?

"Ashstar!" A voice hissed. Wolffang faded into view. 

Ashstar gasped in surprise. He could see his son, and he wasn't even dreaming. He looked different. His fur was ruffled and he had a scar across his eye that went down and across his mouth. He had black eyes with glowing amber slits. His ears were torn his paws were bloody. A wound that hadn't been on his throat before was there. The torn wound on his throat had blood still trickling from it. 

"Why....why are you here?" Ashstar asked. 

"Aren't you glad to see me? I'm your son!" Wolffang growled. "Why didn't you kill Mothstripe when you had the chance?" He asked.

"I couldn't! I don't want to become a monster again!" Ashstar meowed. He felt a tight feeling in his chest once more.

"You could kill Mothstripe and no cat would know that it was you. Your cats trust so much that they'd risk their lives for you. Have you seen Millie and Alderheart? They died to save you," Wolffang added.

"Shut up! You're just trying to convince me to kill Mothstripe!" Ashstar growled, unsheathing his claws.  He lashed his tail. 

"Mothstripe broke the warrior code!  She deserves to die! She abandoned me!" A new voice hissed. 

Ashstar turned around to see Rowandust. Of course he'd want Mothstripe dead. 

More shapes faded into view around Ashstar. 

Hawkfrost, Brokenstar, Darkstripe, and other cats that Ashstar didn't really recognize. 

"Join us!" Hawkfrost hissed.