Goldstar's past

Chapter 1: "Opening eyes to the future."

              "Mom, when is Goldkit going to open her eyes?" A gray kit  with green eyes mewed to Saphirestar.

"Whenever she wants to, Graykit. She has all the time in the world. So don't rush her." Saphirestar purred in response to her kit. She nuzzled Graykit and then started grooming her own fur.

Yeah, you can wait, Goldkit thought. She pressed herself against her mother for warmth. Saphirestar's rhythmic rasping of her tongue soothed her.

"By the time I am 6 moons, and a warrior apprentice, Goldkit will still be in here!" Graykit squeaked impatiently. He pounced on a ball of moss and started playing with it.

"Graykit, settle down. You know you are both going to be apprenticed at the same time. You're not even a moon old!" Saphirestar scolded Graykit. He looked down at his paws.

Wait, a warrior! That's what I want to be. A warrior, Goldkit thought as her mother and brother fell asleep. She opened her eyes to see the dim light in the nursery. She looked at her brother's dark gray pelt. She studied him. Do I look like that? She thought. Then, she looked at her mother. Her gray tabby pelt was beautiful in the dapple lighting. Goldkit purred to herself at the thought that she might look as pretty as her mother. She looked at her paws and noticed her fur was a orange-ish color. But, in the dapple light, it looked almost golden. She looked around the nursery. A sudden squeal made her jump and her tail fluff out twice its size.

"She opened her eyes, mom!" Graykit squealed, his green eyes gleaming with happiness.

"What?" Saphirestar yawned, and looked at Goldkit while smiling, "Hello Goldkit."

"Hello..." Goldkit scuffled her paws. She didn't really like this attention.

"Can we go outside now?" Graykit mewed excitedly.

Saphirestar nodded. She got up and squeezed out of the nursery. Graykit bounded after her, but stopped to look back at Goldkit.

"You coming?" Graykit meowed. Goldkit nodded and trotted toward her brother. Graykit slipped out of the nursery and Goldkit followed. The bright light of the sun surprised Goldkit. When her eyes adjusted, she looked around. Some warriors we around, crunching on some fresh-kill. Others were sharing tongues. The medicine cat, Frostpelt, was getting a thorn out of an apprentice's paw. The apprentice squealed when it came out. Goldkit winced.

The deputy, Blacktail, padded toward her.

"Well, well. Look who opened her eyes." Blacktail purred.

"Yeah... I want to be a warrior!" Goldkit squeaked. She realized that was really off topic, and her ears burned with embarrassment. She really did want to be a warrior. She was determined to protect her clan.

"I bet you do. Say, Saphirestar, we have apprentices who are ready to become warriors." He mewed to Saphirestar.

"Oh, yes. Darkpaw, Lavenderpaw, and Featherpaw. I'll do it right now. They had their assessments, right?" Saphirestar meowed.

"Yes, they have. They are ready." Blacktail nodded.

Saphirestar flicked her tail, "Come on Graykit and Goldkit. You can watch." She bounded up onto the Tall Crystal.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join me beneath the Tall Crystal." She yowled. Goldkit watched her admiringly. All cats of the clan came to the meeting.

"We have some apprentices who need to become warriors." Saphirestar nodded her head toward Darkpaw, Lavenderpaw, and Featherpaw, who were being groomed by their mother, Gingerclaw. Their father, Windfur, was smiling happily.

"I, Saphirestar, leader of Crystalclan call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon the apprentices. They have trained well, and understand your noble code. I command you to make them warriors in their turn." Saphirestar paused, letting the apprentices step forward. "Darkpaw, Lavenderpaw, and Featherpaw. Will you uphold the warrior code at all costs, and protect your clan... Even if it costs your lives?"

"I do!" They mewed together.

"Then, with the power of Starclan, I give you your warrior names." Saphirestar leaped down from the Tall Crystal and walked over to Darkpaw. "Darkpaw, from now on, you will be called Darkclaw." She licked his ear, while Darkclaw licked her shoulder.

"Lavenderpaw, from now on, you will be known as Lavenderheart." Saphirestar licked her ear. "And Featherpaw. From now on, you will be called Featherspirit." She licked her ear.

Saphirestar flicked her tail, signaling that the clan meeting was over. The clan congratulated the new warriors. Goldkit envied them. She wanted to be a warrior now! She kneaded the ground with her claws.

"That'll be us someday." Graykit mewed.

"I know... But why can't it be sooner? I want to serve my clan. I just know it's my purpose in life." Goldkit meowed, sounding wise.

"Haha!" Graykit giggled as he tackled Goldkit. Goldkit squealed and pumbled him with her hind legs, claws sheathed. Graykit nipped her flank, and she squirmed to try to get out his reach.

"Stop! You know I'm smaller than you!" She squeaked. But he kept nipping her. So, she kicked him, and sent him crashing into Saphirestar, who was a tail-length away.

"Ack!" Saphirestar yelped. She got up and picked Graykit up.

"How did you do that?" A gray tabby kit with purple eyes mewed behind Goldkit. Goldkit spun around and looked at the kit.

"I.. I don't know..." She murmered. The truth is, it just happened. Her brother was bigger than her, and she just catapulted him into their mother. Just like he was a feather.

"You shouldn't do that. Wonder if you hurt him!?" The kit squeaked and ran over to Graykit, and sniffed him wildly. "He has a little scratch."

Frostpelt padded over to them. "What happened here?"

"Graykit has a scratch! He needs... Uh, what is it called..." The kit mewed instantly.

"It's nothing serious." Frostpelt purred. "But I would have never caught that scratch. Maybe we should use a little marigold leaves. Thank you Darkkit. Maybe you should be a medicine cat apprentice."

"Really?" Darkkit squealed. She bounded toward the medicine cat den, with  Frostpelt on her heels.

What just happened? Do I have some unknown power? No. But... Maybe I should be concerned... Goldkit thought. She padded over to her brother.

"Sorry Graykit..." Goldkit began.

"Sorry? Why be sorry? That was fun!" Graykit giggled. Goldkit laughed with him.

"Be careful next time though. You gave me quite a scare." Saphirestar mewed.

"Teach me how to do that, Goldkit!" Graykit squeaked. Goldkit nodded and laid on her back. She positioned her legs the way she did before she kicked Graykit. But she couldn't stop thinking about that powerful kick. She knew it meant something. But she didn't know what.