MoonClan Fiction: Chapter 3

Dawnkit yawned her sleep away and padded over to Leafkit. Leafkit lifted his head to look at her. "Whats up?" he mewed groggily. "Where's Nightstreak? Have you seen her? She hasn't been in the nursary for a while" Dawnkit was worried, because she thought as the queen as her friend. "I don't know. I havn't seen her either."
She decided to ignore the feeling she felt for her lost friend. Dawnkit brightened when she remembered what would be taking place today. Leafkit, Polenkit and Bloomkit were a Moon older than her and Stonekit, but The three cats had to delay their apprentice ceremony because we didn't have enough warriors to train us all. So the five kits were going to all be apprenticed today! "Are you exited?" she asked Leafkit, and he knew what she meant. "Exstatic" he replied.

Dawnkit padded out of the nusary with her denmates by her side. The cats of MoonClan had gathered at Foxstars call, and were all in the clearing. Foxstar was on the Moon Perch and Thunderstreak, Branchfur, Flamestripe and Pinefrost were beside her.
"Cats of MoonClan!" she called, "I'm pleased to announce that I will not only be making five apprentices today, but also four warriors aswell! This is a great day for MoonClan!". The cats in the clearing al meowed their approvel and some even yoweled with joy. "I'm going to start with the apprentice ceremonys." Foxstar mewed. "Leafkit, Bloomkit and Polenkit have waited exeptionally long for this, and Stonekit and Dawnkit have reached their sixth Moon. Leafkit, please come forward."
Leafkit practically bounced up to Foxstar. when he stood infron of her, She began the ceremony. "Leafkit, you have waited long to become an apprentice aswell as your sisters. From this moment on, you will be known as Leafpaw." Foxstar continued on through the kits until every cat had "paw" at the end of their name. Dawnpaw Watched as she summoned the four older apprentices to come forward. "Thunderstreak, Flamestripe, Branchfur and Pinefrost. Are you happy with these apprentices?" Foxstar asked the mentors of the four cats. "Yes" they all replied, and Foxstar continued with the ceremony. "Heatpaw, Silverpaw, Sparrowpaw and Bluepaw, Do you promise to follow the warrior code, and respect our Clan?" she asked. "I do." the cats replied to her. "Then from this moment on, Heatpaw, you will be known as Heatfur. Moonclan honours your courage and strength." She turned to do the same for Silverpaw, who became Silverheart. Sparrowpaw, who became Sparrowpelt, and for Bluepaw who became Blueclaw.

Foxstar had purposefully skipped giving the new apprentices their mentors, so she came back to them once the new warriors had sat with the clan. "Splitclaw, you are ready for another apprentice. You will be a mentor to Bloompaw. Whitewhistle, you have just come from the nusary, but you are ready to take on one of your former denmates as an apprentice. You will be a mentor to Polenpaw." Foxstar turned to the other former-queen. "Basilheart, you have also just left the nursary, but you are an experienced warrior, and you will be intrusted with the apprenticeship of Stonepaw." Foxstar turned to the two remaining warriors. "Snaketai, you are ready for another apprentice aswell. You will mentor Leafpaw." Dawnpaw looked at the remaining warrior who was to be her mentor. Foxstar went on. "Robinsong, you were recently made a warrior, but you are loyal and feirce, So I am entrusting you with Dawnpaw." All of the apprentices touched noses with their mentors, and the meeting broke off with many yowels of congratulations to the new warriors and apprentices.
"Heatfur! Silverheart! Sparrowpelt! Bleuclaw! Leafpaw! Stonepaw! Bloompaw! Dawnpaw! Polenpaw!" The chants rang through the clearing loud and proud.

At that moment, Nightstreak ententered the camp wailing for Featherbell. The medicine cat came out at oonce, wanting to know what was bothering the queen. Dawnpaw overehard what Nightstreak and Featherbell were talking about. "Featherbell! Oh, there you are! I think my kits are coming!" Nightstreak meowed. "What are you doing outside then?" Featherbell demanded. She started bounding to the nursary, helping the heaving Nightstreak along.
"I just thought she had been pigging out. Who would expect Nightstreak to have kits with anyone but Stonestream?" Leafpaws mew broke Dawnpaws silence. She nodded her agreement with Leafpaws statement. She hadent seen Nightstreak for a while, but when the queen was around, she did notice her belly. "I wonder who the father is" she wondered aloud. "Me too" Leafpaw agreed.

* * *
Dawnpaw and Leafpaw padded to the nursary together. Nightstreak had kitted, and they wanted to see if they were allowed to see the new kits. They found Featherbell at the entrance at the nursary. "Good night, Leafpaw, Dawnpaw." Featherbell nodded to each apprentice in turn. "Here to see the kit?" Dawnpaw was confused for a moment. Featherbell had said "kit" not "kits". "Is there only one?" Dawnpaw asked. Featherbell nodded sadly. "There was a second.. but it was born dead." She mewed sadly. "I'm sorry to hear that " Leafpaw muttered.
Featherbell signaled with her tail that the apprentices could enter the nursary, and Dawnpaw and Leafpaw stepped inside. Nightstreak was licking her only kit. The kit was pitch black, but when Dawnpaw looked harder, there was just a small patch of tabby fur on the kits front left paw. Nightstreak lifted her head to look at their visitors. She nodded to the apprentices, and then her eyes fell on Dawnpaw. Dawnpaw was expecting a friendly, happy gaze. But she was astonished to see that the black she-cats gaze was filled with hate. A chill ran through her body.
A cats voice sounded behind her and Leafpaw "What are you two doing here?" It was Pinefrost. "Oh, well, we were looking in on-" Pinefrost silenced her with a sharp gaze. "I dont think you should be here. we are not ready for guests yet."
"Greetings" another mew sounded right behind her ear as Foxstar entered the nursary. "I see we've got a new kit in the Clan." She turned and nodded to Nightstreak and Pinefrost. "Congratulations." Pinfrost dipped his head stiffly and Nightstreak just ignored the leader. "I think Pinefrosts the father" Dawnpaw whispered to Leafpaw. He flicked his tail in aknowledgement. Foxstar was talking to Nightstreak.
"Have you figured out a name for him yet?" She asked.
Nightstreak nodded. "His name is Shadowkit" she mewed, then went back to groming him. "What a fine name!" Foxstar exclaimed. "Well, enjoy your time in the nursary." Foxstar nodded to every cat in the den, then she left. Dawnpaw and Leafpw took that as their que to leave aswell.