The Starlit Path

(Members in new MapleClan)

MapleClan

Flamestar-Leader

Poisenberry-Deputy

Redwillow-Medicine Cat

Owlfern

Starlingpetal

Applenose

Robinfeather

Honeyflash

Pinebreeze

Flamingfern

Darkmoon

Fernshade

Lilyflower

Tigerstripe

Echowind

Nightmoon

Risingpaw-Apprentice

Dawnpaw-Apprentice

Brambleflower-Queen

Sorrelkit

Blazekit

Ravenwing--Elder

Blueflame-(Main Charector)

(None of these are from the prologue)

Older Mapleclan

Lynxstar-leader

Dappleheart-deputy

Windflight-Medicine cat

Shadowpaw-Apprentice

Rosepaw-Apprentice

Leafmoon

Tigerleaf

Whitelily

Moonfall

Pinefur

Snowtuft

Robinflash

Ambermoon

Jayflight

Yellowsun-Queen

Bluekit

Duskkit

Riverstream-Queen

Ravenkit

Briarsong-Elder

-Prologue-
"Spottedfeather, is it your wish to retire to the elder's den, after so many moons of endless commitment to your clan?"

Spottedfeather's voice shook as she replied, "It is." Nightstar bowed her head to the old she-cat. "Then shall you live the rest of your days in peace."

Fallenmoon, one of MapleClan's elders, helped guide Spottedfeather to her new nest. Her denmate, Stormcloud, stared wearily at the new elder.

"Welcome," he grumbled. Spottedfeather aknowledged his words by flicking her tail.

"She doesn't look well," Fallenmoon quieried quietly to Stormcloud after she had watched Spottedfeather fall asleep. Stormcloud flicked his tail. "She's old. A little rest will do her well."

Fallenmoon shifted her paws worriedly. "We're older then her, yet none of us are acting like that." Stormcloud rolled his eyes. "You're always like that, fussing over the new ones. Remember when I came in? You nearly lost your fur over me!"

Fallenmoon ignored him. "I'll bring her to Turtlepelt if she doesn't get better." Stormcloud sighed loudly, circling on his nest before lying down.

"Goodnight, Fallenmoon."
"Goodnight, Storm. Please keep your eye on Spottedfeather."
Fallenmoon listened for his reply, but none came. She shook her head.

Maybe she was just worrying.

* * * * * * * * *

"Fallenmoon! Fallenmoon!" Fallenmoon awoke to see Stormcloud leaning over her, his eyes sparkling with fear. "What...what is it?" "Spottedfeather! She's not in her nest."

Fallenmoon quickly got to her paws. "She can't be gone...no, no..." But Stormcloud was right. Spottedfeather's nest was empty. Stormcloud rested his tail on her shoulder.

" Its okay. I'll tell Nightstar and he'll send out a patrol to look for her." Fallenmoon could only stare blankly at her denmate. It was the middle of leaf-bare. The snow would hide any scent of cat. Stormcloud gazed at her with sympathy brimming in his eyes before whisking out of the den.

Suddenly, a familier scent lingered in the air. "Spottedfeather?" Fallenmoon held her breath as the reply came. "I am in Starclan now, but beware...the stars shall fall when dusk awakens..."

-Chapter One-
"Got you!" Bluekit squeaked, pattering her sister, Duskkit, with tiny sheathed paws. "No, you didn't!" Duskkit charged at Bluekit and clawed her belly.

Bluekit shrieked, ducking away from her sister's claws and racing into the nursery. "Yellowsun! Yellowsun! Duskkit is being mean!" Their mother, Yellowsun, gazed at Duskkit sternly.

"What have I told you about bullying Bluekit?" Duskkit growled. "She started it... " "You made it worse. It doesn't matter who started it." Duskkit stared at her paws. "Sorry, Yellowsun."

Yellowsun narrowed her eyes. "Not me, Bluekit." Duskkit hissed. "Fine. Sorry, Bluekit." Bluekit didn't think the apology was sincere, but she accepted it anyway. "Now go out and play, you two. Its your last day as kits; Your apprentice ceremony is tommorow."

Bluekit's eyes widened in excitment. "It is?" "Yes." Bluekit glanced at Duskkit to see if she was just as excited, but her sister just sat with her tail-tip flicking from side to side, her face expressionless.

"All the warriors in this clan are weak," she grumbled. Bluekit blinked in surprise, expecting Yellowsun to lash out at her kit, but she only gazed wearily at Duskkit.

"Don't let the warriors hear you say that," she warned. Duskkit scowled. "Like they would care. I wish I lived in a different clan! Like the one from the nursery tales: Shadowclan!"

Both Yellowsun and Bluekit gasped. "Sh-Shadowclan?" Duskkit smirked. "Yep!" Yellowsun gave Duskkit a worried, fearful look. "Go outside to play. I'll call you when you can come back in."

Bluekit raced out of the nursery, Duskkit hard on her heels. "Whats so bad about Shadowclan?" Duskkit mewed when they had stopped. Bluekit hissed at her sister.
"Where has your loyalty gone?!"

Duskkit growled. "Nowhere!" "It must have gone somewhere, calling Mapleclan warriors weak and siding with the worst clan of them all!"

Duskkit scoffed. "Yeah, well, its true. I don't want a weak mentor." Enough was enough. Bluekit leapt at Duskkit, claws unsheathed.

Duskkit darted out of the way quickly, and Bluekit, missing her target, slid across the leaf-strewn ground.

"Ha! You proved me right! Mapleclan is weaker then weak!" Duskkit stuck out her tounge. Bluekit leapt to her paws and lunged at her sister. "I hate you! You're more mouse-brained than ever!"

Suddenly, Yellowsun bounded out of the nursery, watching as Bluekit bit and scratched Duskkit. "Bluekit! Stop!!" Bluekit jumped off Duskkit, her fur hot with guilt. "Sorry, Duskkit."

Duskkit rose to her paws, fur matted and torn. Yellowsun glared at her kits. "Go to your nests at once!" Bluekit and Duskkit sulked back to their nest, Yellowsun following.

Bluekit lay in the nursery, listening to the soft breathing of Ravenkit and Riverstream.

Duskkit curled up beside her, growling softly in her ear. "Duskkit, stop growling!" She whined. Duskkit scowled. "Why should I?" "Just please stop!"

Bluekit squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sound. Duskkit kept at it. Finally, Yellowsun lifted her head warily.

"Duskkit, stop growling in Bluekit's ear." Duskkit rolled her eyes. "Fine." Bluekit gave a relieved sigh, closing her eyes and drifting into sleep.

Bluekit awoke to see watery sunlight filtering through cracks in the nursery. "Bluekit! Bluekit!" Ravenkit was pawing at her shoulder. Bluekit lifted her head. "Yes, Ravenkit?"

Ravenkit gave a bouce of excitment, his bright blue eyes flashing excitedly.
"All of us are going to be made apprentices today!" Bluekit suddenly remembered. "I know! I hope I get the most brilliant mentor ever!"

Ravenkit nodded in agreement. "I'm hoping I get Leafmoon. All the other apprentices say she's not strict at all!"

Bluekit purred. "She might start with you." Ravenkit pretended to look hurt. "Aw, Bluekit, don't be so mean!"

Bluekit laughed. "I want Dappleheart as a mentor because she's clan deputy!" Ravenkit rolled onto his back. "Like you'll ever get her!"

Suddenly, Yellowsun yawned. "Bluekit, what are you doing up?" Bluekit bounced on her paws. "Its our apprentice ceremony today!"

Yellowsun's eyes widened. "I've got to get you cleaned up!" She prodded Duskkit awake, who rose groggily to her paws.

"Oh, yeah, the apprentice ceremony." Bluekit thought she looked bored out of her mind. Yellowsun quickly finished grooming Bluekit and went on to clean up Duskkit.

After a little while she stood back to admire her kits.

"You both look beautiful!" Ravenkit bounded over to Bluekit happily, looking freshly groomed. "Look! Cats are gathering outside!"

Bluekit turned to look outside the nursery. There was so many cats!
A small knot of worry built up inside of her. What if she is unable to become an apprentice? What if she loses her voice when Lynxstar's talking to her?

"Let all cats old enough to run gather here beneath the High Branch!"
Bluekit, Duskkit, and Ravenkit bounded forward to stand by the giant Maple Tree. "Ravenkit, Duskkit, and Bluekit, come forward."

Lynxstar's yellow eyes shone, and his white and black striped pelt shone under the greenleaf sun.
"You have been kits for 6 moons now, and are ready to learn the ways of a Mapleclan apprentice. Ravenkit, are you ready to learn the ways of Mapleclan?"

Ravenkit trembled with excitment as he replied, "I am."
Lynxstar lifted his head. "Then by the powers of Starclan, I name you Ravenpaw until you become a warrior. Whitelily will be your mentor."

Ravenpaw showed no dissapointment as he padded over to Whitelily and rested his muzzle on her head. "Bluekit and Duskkit, are you ready to learn the ways of Mapleclan?" Bluekit and Duskkit replied in unison, "I am."

"Then you shall be Bluepaw and Duskpaw until you earn your warrior names. Bluepaw, Robinflash shall be your mentor, and Snowtuft will be Duskpaw's."

Bluepaw rested her muzzle on Robinflash's head. "Ravenpaw! Bluepaw! Duskpaw!"

As her clanmates called their names, Bluepaw felt strangely uneasy. The medicine cat, Windflight, was calling all their names except Duskpaw's.

Why would he not call hers?

~To be continued.~

DUSKPAW

Duskpaw cringed as the clan called her name. She didn't want to be noticed. She wanted to be an apprentice in Shadowclan, not in stupid Mapleclan!

Lynxstar's gaze swept over the new apprentices. Something was off as he stared at her, though. What was wrong with her? She had seen the way Windflight looked at her, how hatred had flashed in his eyes. "Duskpaw?"

Duskpaw shook herself back to reality to see Snowtuft looking at her, as if he had asked her a question. Duskpaw blinked. "I'm sorry, what was that?" Snowtuft sighed. "I was asking what you wanted to do first."

Duskpaw gazed out into the forest. "Can we explore the territory?" Snowtuft nodded. "Stay with me, though, in case we encounter some trouble." Duskpaw bit back a sharp reply. Stupid Snowtuft, thinking he knows everything!

Bluepaw and Robinflash padded in behind Duskpaw and Snowtuft. "Hi," Bluepaw mewed when she caught Duskpaw's gaze. "Hi," Duskpaw mewed.

Ravenpaw bounded up beside Bluepaw, his bright blue gaze sparkling. "This is so exciting!" Duskpaw wished she could block out their conversation. She would never admit it, but she had a huge crush on Ravenpaw.

He would never know, though, because he never spoke to her. Snowtuft suddenly steered Duskpaw away from the others. "Wha-?" Duskpaw's paws were knocked out from under her and she slid down a huge, rocky hill. "Snowtuft!" She squeaked, trying to cling onto the grass. Snowtuft watched her from the top of the hill, eyes narrowed with hatred. "You should never have been born."

Duskpaw clung even harder to the hill. "What do you mean?" Her voice trembled. Snowtuft narrowed his eyes, and recieted the long-ago told prophecy. "The stars shall fall when dusk awakens..."

Duskpaw's attempts to hold onto the hill were growing weaker, and she felt herself sliding down. "I hate Mapleclan! I hate it! I knew no one ever liked me!" Suddenly, a screech sounded above the hill. Ravenpaw coming to save her...? No.

Yellowsun was staring down in horror at her struggling kit. Snowtuft spoke, "She fell down. I tried to save her, but the hill was to steep..." Liar. Duskpaw let out a terrified yowl as her paws slipped. "No!"

Yellowsun screeched, bounding down the hill. Duskpaw felt herself falling, falling to her death.
Falling, falling
Down
Down
Down
You go
Down
Down
Forever.
Safe & Sound
Nothing is there
As you go
Down
Down
Forever.
Starclan had abandoned her. Duskpaw awoke to see the stars shining down on her.

Like old, dead leaves, the stars meant nothing anymore. She looked around for the hill she had fallen from, but it was nowhere in sight.

There weren't even any Maple trees in sight, which was strange, because in Mapleclan they were everywhere.

YELLOWSUN

"My kit, my precious kit..." The world spun around Yellowsun. Snowtuft had told her that Duskpaw had fallen into the hole.

But she knew that wasn't true. How could it be? No one ever trusted Snowtuft. One day he would be in the Place Of No Stars.

Grief flashed in Yellowsun's eyes as she saw Bluepaw return happily with Robinflash, mice dangling from both their jaws. Bluepaw bounded over to Yellowsun excitedly.

"Yellowsun! Robinflash taught me how to catch mice and I caught the fattest one ever!" Yellowsun just stared at her kit with dull eyes. Bluepaw tilted her head to one side. "What's wrong?"

Yellowsun rested her tail on Bluepaw's shoulder. "Duskpaw is dead. She fell down the rock hill at the edge of our territory." Bluepaw let out a wail of grief. "She can't be! No!"

"I'm sorry, Bluepaw." Grief threatened to overwhelm her as she saw Bluepaw race out of the clearing. "My precious kit..."

Yellowsun dragged herself to her nest in the warrior's den, stumbling around other cats. Maybe I can dream this all away...she felt her eyes close as she drifted into a long, uncomfortable sleep.

DUSKPAW

Duskpaw had been walking along the same trail for many, many sunrises and her paws felt like they would fall off. Suddenly, she stopped walking.

Maple trees...that could only mean one thing. Mapleclan! She still thought it was odd how she ended up so far away from where she had fell.

Maybe a fox dragged her away? Or maybe another cat found her and tried to help her. She certainly didn't awake with any visible injuries. Weird. Duskpaw bounded over to the Maple trees, feeling surprisingly happy.

Maybe the clan had missed her. Maybe Ravenpaw would talk to her. She felt her fur grow hot at the thought. As she neared the camp, Duskpaw began to hear voices.

"I hope Duskpaw never comes back," mewed Shadowpaw, one of the older apprentices. "Yeah, did you know there was a prophecy about how bad she was?"

That was Jayflight. Suddenly, Ravenpaw's voice sounded. "She'll destroy Starclan! Evil fox-heart."

Duskpaw felt hurt well up inside of her. She wasn't mean! Her denmates were mean. The whole Mapleclan was mean! She felt a lump rise in her throat. Why did everyone hate her?

BLUEPAW

Bluepaw had been outside for a while, searching for her lost sister. Suddenly she paused. "Bluepaw." Bluepaw's eyes widened.

That was Duskpaw's voice! "Duskpaw?" Duskpaw bounded over to Bluepaw, her eyes wide. "The whole clan hates me!" She wailed.

Bluepaw rested her tail on Duskpaw's shoulders. Normally Duskpaw was mean to her, so this was a rare moment. "I don't hate you, and neiter does Yellowsun."

Duskkit's voice was hoarse with sadness as she replied, "Ravenpaw does." Bluepaw couldn't find any words to reply. Ravenpaw had told her he thought Duskpaw was mean and annoying. "Maybe you should stop being so rude," she mewed.

Duskpaw jerked away from Bluepaw. "How dare you! I'm nicer than the rest of stupid Mapleclan." Bluepaw opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.

Duskpaw sighed. "I'm sorry, Bluepaw. I shouldn't take it out on you." She gazed at her sister. "Did you know there was a prophecy about me?"

Bluepaw shook her head, startled. Duskpaw sat down, curling her tail around her paws. "Snowtuft receited it to me before I fell. 'The stars shall fall when Dusk awakens.' Do you know what that means?"

Bluepaw thought for a moment. "Well, I'm guessing Dusk is you..." Duskpaw blinked. "Yeah, maybe. I think the stars falling means Starclan getting destroyed, and Dusk awakening is me being born!"

Bluepaw gave a startled gasp. "So...that means...YOU are going to destroy STARCLAN!!" Duskpaw blinked. "Yes, I believe so." Bluepaw narrowed her eyes. "Come with me."

DUSKPAW

"Where are we going?" She asked mildly. Bluepaw turned to look back at Duskpaw, her eyes narrowed. "Just follow me." Duskpaw lashed her tail. Bluepaw could at least tell her where she was taking her!

For all she knew, Bluepaw could be sending her to Starclan! "Okay," Bluepaw mewed, stopping at the edge of the territory. "What?" Duskpaw stared out at the bleak landscape, wondering what Bluepaw expected her to do.

"Duskpaw, do you want to run away and leave the prophecy behind?" Duskpaw stared at her in surprise. "Well, I...I don't know...leave you and Yellowsun? I don't think so." Bluepaw scraped the ground with her claws.

"Bad things might happen if you stay," she warned. Duskpaw scowled. "I can stand up to myself, thanks. think I'll be okay." Bluepaw sighed, turning away.

"Alright, come with me." Duskpaw couldn't help but notice the flash of fear in Bluepaw's eyes.