8Chapter one:
Acceptance
A/N: I realize that this chapter moves quite quickly, don't let it put you off it gets better later, like, next chapter? Or maybe the chapter after that. Thats my opinion at least. Thanks for reading and please R&R I want to know if this is any good.
It was a sunny day; just over two weeks after the incident, Silver and Thunder were in the forest that was behind their small fence. Thunder stalked a mouse, he was crouched down, trying to be quiet, but he stepped forward and crushed a leaf underneath his paw, alerting the mouse to his presence. It squeaked and scurried away.
"Mouse-dung!" Thunder mewed.
Silver let out an amused purr from the rock she was sitting on, surveying his attempt.
He gave his chest a few self-conscious licks before glaring at his sister.
"I'll catch it next time!"
"Of course you will." Came the purred response.
"I WILL!"
"I never said you wouldn't."
"Hmph."
Silver padded over to him.
"Do you miss her?"
"Yes." He meowed miserably.
She gently touched her nose to his flank to comfort him.
"EW!" He yowled. "GIRL COOTIES!" He shot off deeper into the forest before Silver could stop him.
"Stupid furball." She followed him into the forest before she lost him.
"Thunder!" She yowled.
She came out in a small clearing where Thunder was confronted with five other cats they had never seen before.
"What are you doing here? Who are you?" Demanded a dark-pelted cat with malice in his eyes.
Thunder did not seem fazed. "I'm Thunder, and this is my sister Silver." He meowed, calling attention to her. "Are you the Clan-cats? What Clan do you come from?" He rapidly fired off, bouncing up and down.
A silver she-cat in the group that looked remarkably like Silver twitched her whiskers at Thunders enthusiasm.
"Yes, Thunder, we are clan-cats. I am Paddedfoot, this is Wolfheart, Sparrowpaw, Darktail and Icepaw." She said motioning to each cat in turn.
Darktail was the one who had looked at them with apparent hate.
"Don't make nice with kittypets!" He snarled.
Paddedfoot glared at him before turning back to Thunder. "We are from ThunderClan."
Silver pricked her ears and let out a mew of surprise. "Silverstorm?"
Paddedfoots expression turned to one of sadness. "Silverstorm is dead."
The warrior called Wolfpelt touched his nose to her flank reassuringly.
"Go home kittypets! Darktail spat. "If we catch you here again, we'll kill you!"
Silver and Thunder scampered away, back to the yard, where night was approaching. They curled up under a bush in the yard where Thunder promptly fell asleep. Silver lay awake for wake seemed like hours, the night still young, she stretched and got up. Jumping over the fence and padding over the flat rock she sat on so often, grooming her ears.
A ghostly image of a silver cat approached her, shining in the moonlight.
"My daughter, I bring a message from StarClan."
"Silverstorm?" She asked in awe.
"Yes it is me."
"But… You're, dead."
Silverstorm lowered his head. "It is so. Silver, your destiny does not lie here. Take the path away from it, if you stay, you are condemned to a fate worse than death."The image of Silverstorm swayed slightly in the breeze. "I will watch out for you, do not forget…"
"Silverstorm don't go! What path am I to take?"
"It's up to you." He padded through a bush and disappeared.
Silver lay down and closed her eyes, relaxing. Before she knew it she was asleep.
-.- Dream -.-
Running through the undergrowth Silver saw many cats streaming through the forest. Barking could be heard in the distance as some of the cats turned to fight. Among these cats stood a shining silver one. Fangs glinting, claws unsheathed. Silverstorm.
"Fight!" he yowled
/\/\/\/
An orange-pelted cat stood on the Highrock.
"ThunderClan, we hold vigil for the brave cats that died. I will announce the new deputy at moonhigh, Silverstorm was lost this day.
-.- End Dream -.-
Silver woke instantly to the moving of a bush to see a silver cat pad towards her. Her first thought was that Silverstorm had come back, but then she noticed who it was.
"Paddedfoot! What are you doing here?"
"When you said my brothers name, I noticed that you look just like him..."
"Your brother?"
"Silverstorm."
There was a silence as Silver stared at the ground.
"He was my father."
Paddedfoot let out a choked purr. "My brothers kits!"
Silver purred as Paddedfoot touched her nose to her ear-tip.
"I have to go or my Clan will get suspicious. I'll come back at sundown tomorrow okay?"
"Okay."
Paddedfoot turned to leave before pausing with a paw in the air and turning her head to face Silver.
"If you had the chance… Would you join ThunderClan?"
Silver pondered this for a moment before answering. "If Thunder did, yes."
Paddedfoot dipped her head and retreated through the trees, leaving Silver by herself again.
She padded back to her sleeping brother. Things were improving slightly. But nothing could bring Ruby back. Suddenly the air felt cold and she shivered, curling up next to the orange lump of fur that was Thunder.
"Cooties." He mumbled in his sleep.
Silver purred softly before closing her eyes and falling asleep.
"Do not forget…"
-()-
They were rudely awoken in the morning by their housefolk calling for them in its language and shaking a large box of hard pellets. Thunders stomach growled noisily as they padded over to the bowls on the ground. Silver twitched her whiskers in amusement as he looked at her innocently. The housefolk made strange cooing noises as it poured the pellets out. It stroked them gently and walked off.
"It wasn't me." Thunder mewed.
"What wasn't?"
"That noise."
"Ah, of course it wasn't."
"It wasn't!"
"And hedgehogs fly." Silver remarked sarcastically.
"You're just jealous."
"Of what? You making stomach noises?"
"Yes."
"So it was you."
"No it wasn't!"
"You just admitted it was."
"I can tell when I'm losing a battle here."
"Smart."
"Thank you."
Silver flicked her tail in silent laughter.
-()-
When they had finished eating they sat grooming themselves. Silver brought up the topic of what she had done last night. Thunder sat listening with rapt attention until she finished. He came to the conclusion that either Silver had a very vivid dream, or on the off chance that what she said was true, they would have to wait until Paddedfoot showed. If it was indeed true, apparently they had just gained a relative.
-()-
When the time came, Paddedfoot sat under a shadowed bush, watching Silver sitting on the fence, flicking her tail in anticipation.
"Been sitting there long?" came a voice from behind her.
Paddedfoot immediately unsheathed her claws, intent on maiming her assailant. Whirling around she was met by a pair of yellow eyes that blinked warmly at her, she purred suddenly and touched noses with the cat.
"Oh, Thunder, I didn't hear you come up. Have you been practicing?"
Thunder blinked and shuffled his paws. "You were thinking, you just didn't notice."
"Silver informed you?"
"Yes."
"That's great!"
She turned back to look at Silver, to find that the she-cat was padding across to them, tail held high and flicking in greeting.
They touched noses in the same way Paddedfoot had greeted Thunder.
"Paddedfoot, its good to see you again."
"You too." She meowed. "I have something to ask you both, actually."
Thunder blinked.
"What is it?" Silver mewed.
Paddedfoot shuffled her paws in the leaves on the ground. "WillyoujoinmyClan?" she blurted out.
"Huh?"
Paddedfoot took a deep breath. "I know its asking a lot. But will you join my Clan? I talked to Flamestar, he wants to meet you before deciding anything."
The kits exchanged glances. Thunders eyes shone with excitement, and Silvers with doubt.
"I understand if you don't want to. After all, this is all you've known."
"I want to come!" Thunder mewed, bouncing on his paws. "It sounds like an adventure!"
Silver sighed and studied the rock that her father had appeared to her on. 'Condemned to a fate worse than death...'
"I'll go."
"When do we leave?" Thunder asked.
"As soon as you want to."
"Can we go now?"
Paddedfoot looked to Silver for confirmation.
"Sure."
"Alright then, follow me, and don't forget to be respectful to Flamestar, you want to make a good impression."
The cats followed each other in a single line, winding through the undergrowth with leaps and bounds, around roots and over logs.
As Paddedfoot and Thunder conversed, Silver thoughts couldn't help but drift back to her father's words.
Your destiny does not lie here. Take the path away from it, if you stay, you are condemned to a fate worse than death.
What path?
She mulled over this until Paddedfoot meowing loudly jolted her out of her thoughts. "We're here!" She announced.
They gazed around the camp with awe, there were many cats sitting around, meowing or eating.
"Come." Paddedfoot instructed. "Flamestar is waiting."
As they padded into the camp, many heads turned their way, some curious, some hostile. They found themselves in front of what must be Flamestars den. Paddedfoot passed through the curtain of lichen into the hollow to see Flamestar.
A deep voice meowed, "Come in."
Thunder and Silver glanced at each other before padding nervously inside.
A large orange-pelted tom observed them.
"You are Silverstorms kits?" he mused. "I never knew he had any. Who is your mother?"
The kits glanced at each other again before Silver answered.
"Our mother was called Ruby." She stated.
Flamestars head turned sharply, "A kittypet?!"
Paddedfoot looked anxious, "Flamestar this is irrelevant, what matters is that they will contribute to the Clan, like their father did."
"From the term 'was' I guess your mother is gone." He continued. "How will I know you won't just go back to your easy life as a kittypet?"
Thunder straightened himself, "You don't know, and neither will we until we experience both sides. Please give us a chance, we want to do this."
Flamestar gave them a calculating look. He sighed. "Very well then. You may join, I will announce this at moonhigh, Paddedfoot may show you around until then." He gave a flick of his tail, dismissing them.
Paddedfoot followed them outside, she purred happily and brushed their pelts with her tail.
"Come, I'll show you around."
As they padded forward they saw Darktail swishing his tail back and forth as he glared at them.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" He hissed.
Paddedfoot drew herself up, "They are here with Flamestar's permission.
"Kittypets have no place in the Clan!"
"That is not for you to decide."
"Once a kittypet always a kittypet, if you ask me, Flamestar's gone mad!" He snarled.
Paddedfoot's head snapped around, eyes burning with fire. "If you don't respect Flamestar's orders, you have no place in this Clan." She hissed, taking a step forward.
Darktail bunched up his muscles angrily. "Kittypet scum!"
Thunder narrowed his eyes and crouched into a hostile position.
"Say that again." He meowed.
"Of course, its what you are, spawn of a kittypet!"
Thunder leapt, his claws unsheathed with his paws out in front of him. He bowled into Darktail and they scuffled on the ground until they flew apart panting. Darktail threw himself back into the fight, using his weight to get an upperhand. Thunder used his hind paws to scratch a path down Darktail's stomach, he wriggled out of Darktail's grip and sunk his sharp teeth into his enemies tail. Darktail yowled with pain as he flattened his ears and crouched on the ground, flicking his tail, which was missing the tip, angrily.
Paddedfoot blinked, inspecting the wound. "You'd better get that looked at. Go see Whiteherb for treatment before it gets infected."
Darktail hissed in annoyance at being ordered around and stalked off waving his tail defiantly.
Silver studied Thunders pelt to see only small scratches hidden in his pelt, he had come off lucky, as the dark-pelted warrior was large and a formidable opponent in battle.
Paddedfoot flicked the tip of her tail to tell them to follow her. As they wandered into the middle of the clearing, she started pointing out the various things around the camp like the Highrock, which Flamestar used to make announcements.
"There's the nursery, where queens and kits reside." Turning another way she added, "And that's the hollow oak that the elders sleep in."
Following where she led they saw the respective dens of warriors and apprentices, the fresh kill pile, and training hollow. "And this is Whiteherb's den, he's the Clan's medicine cat." As she spoke, the ferns at the front of the entrance rustled and a white tom emerged carrying herbs in his mouth. He dipped his head at Paddedfoot and then blinked at them with yellow eyes before dropping his bundle on the ground.
"Silverstorms kits, I never knew he would break the warrior code for love, loyal, as he was. I wish you well." Whiteherb turned his head to look at Paddedfoot again. "Have you seen Scarletstripe by any chance?"
"Yes, she went to see Dawnflower and her kits."
"Thank you." He picked his bundle back up and padded off towards the nursery.
As they watched him disappear into the bracken a loud yowl rebounded throughout the camp, which was Flamestar.
"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting.
As all the different cats made their way there, many glanced at Silver and Thunder curiously, some narrowing their eyes or others ignoring them totally.
"It doesn't look like we're very welcome." Silver murmured.
"Don't worry, they'll like us as soon as they see what great warriors we are!" Thunder mewed, holding his head high.
Paddedfoot left them to take her place at the bottom of the Highrock where she was soon joined by Whiteherb, the crowd of cats stopped murmuring and raised their heads to watch as Flamestar climbed the rock to its highest point.
"First, I will tell you, Whiteherb has had a message from StarClan. There is a danger approaching but we have no idea what it is or when it will happen.
The only thing we know is that a loud noise will save the Clan."
The cats started murmuring amongst themselves, one cried out. "So what are we supposed to do? Yowl at our enemies? I highly doubt that would stop them on its own."
Other cats voiced their agreement.
"Remember," Flamestar continued. "We do not know this danger yet." He glanced around the clearing.
"I also have an announcement to make." He meowed. "After much thought, I have decided to let Silverstorms kits join the Clan, though they are not Clan-born."
A few angry yowls filled the air, the loudest coming from Darktail, who was glaring evilly at Thunder.
"You can't let kittypets join the Clan, Flamestar! It's unheard of! Once a kittypet ALWAYS a kittypet!" He spat. "Paddedfoot only wants them in the Clan because they're her last tie to her brother!"
"Do you dare question my judgement, Darktail?" Famestar asked in a dangerously quiet meow.
He was met by silence as Darktail kneaded the ground with his front paws, staring at the ground in rage.
"As I was saying, I have decided to let them join the Clan. Thunder, Silver, will you please come forward."
The cats around them looked at them as they nervously padded up to the Highrock.
"Thunder, from this moment you will be called Thunderpaw." Flamestar searched the assembled cats with his glowing green eyes before settling on a she-cat.
"Featherwing, you will be mentor to Thunderpaw."
As he spoke, the light blue/silvery she-cat's eyes widened in surprise as she stepped towards Thunderpaw. When he didn't move, Paddedfoot flicked her tail at him to signal he was supposed to go meet her.
His eyes shining with excitement he padded forward with a spring in his step towards Featherwing.
"Featherwing, although you have only been a warrior for a short time, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of loyalty and forethought. Do your best to pass on these qualities to Thunderpaw."
Featherwing dipped her head to touch Thunders nose with her own, as he lifted his head quickly their noses crashed clumsily together.
"Sorry!" Thunder squeaked.
Featherwing purred slightly. "Try again."
This time they touched noses carefully, and Thunderpaw followed his new mentor over to the side of the clearing.
Now that they were finished, Flamestar continued. "Silver, you are now known as Silverpaw," he stated, looking at her directly.
"Duskpelt," he called, raising his head again. "I feel you are ready for your first apprentice, you will be mentor to Silverpaw."
A dusky brown tabby tom stepped forward from the assembled cats and sat near the base of the Highrock. Silver padded forward to meet him and sat in front of him.
"Duskpelt, you have shown yourself to be loyal and courageous, I trust you will pass these qualities onto your new apprentice."
As they touched noses, Silver studied her mentor, the only thing that gave away his excitement were his eyes, which were shining as bright as a full moon.
He blinked warmly at her and they padded across the clearing to Featherwing and Thunder.
As they reached them, Featherwing suggested that they go meet the other apprentices in the den and they could start training tomorrow.
"That's a good idea." Duskpelt meowed. "We'll meet you at sunhigh to show you the territory."
They parted ways, Duskpelt and Featherwing went to the warriors den, as Thunder and Silver padded to the apprentices den.
As they came up to the entrance, which was slightly covered with shrub, they glanced uneasily at each other, both asking an unspoken question.
Will we be accepted?
They pushed their way through the ferns and came out in a hollow with moss scattered around.
As they stood there, they were approached by a small tortishell she-cat. "Hi!" she mewed. "I'm Sleekpaw! You must be Thunderpaw and Silverpaw!"
"I'm Blackpaw." Announced a midnight black tom.
"And I'm Sparrowpaw." Meowed a tawny tabby tom whose strange markings made it look like he had wings.
Sleekpaw resumed talking. "Sunpaw and Icepaw are sleeping right now, you can meet them in the morning. Oh and my sister, Mosspaw, she's the medicine cats apprentice, so you'll see her around. And also-" She abruptly stopped talking when Blackpaw interrupted.
"Right, well if you want to get any sleep tonight you should choose one of the nests."
Sleekpaw glanced at Blackpaw before mewing, "A word of warning, Blackpaw snores."
"I do not!" He protested.
"Whatever. Goodnight." She replied and settled down in a nest. Blackpaw and Sparrowpaw followed suit, leaving Thunderpaw and Silverpaw to choose their own nests, which were next to each other, and go to sleep.
A/N: Well that's the first chapter! I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Dunno how long my second chapter will take but hopefully it'll be here before too long.