Beyond The Stars

Chapter 1

"Softkit! Slow down!" her sister, Creamkit meowed, racing up to her sister's side.

"Mama! When is Dawnstar going to make us apprentices?" Softkit whined, looking up into her mother's bright green eyes.

Willowsneeze purred and licked the top of her daughter's head. "I'm sure it'll be soon darling!" she purred, smiling and bringing her two kits closer with her tail.

"But why can't Dawnstar do it right now mama?" the small she-kit cried, sighing and staring up at the wooden walls of the nursery.

"Ugh, Softkit, can you please stop complaining?" meowed a very annoyed voice from somewhere close by.

The copper-point she-kit pouted and narrowed her eyes angrily at the other kit.

"Mama!" Softkit cried, "Lynxkit is being mean to me again!"

Willowsneeze sighed and twitched her tail from left to right. "Now now girls," the fluffy white queen admonished them, "stop fighting and play nicely."

"But why does Softkit always smell like those stinky herbs that Moonsong always gives us?" the small white she-kit asked, scowling and wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"I don't know why Softkit finds Moonsong so cool, herbs are weird," Lynxkit wrinkled her nose.

Blackkit, another kit and Softkit's best friend purred softly and gave Lynxkit a playful shove.

"Hey, be nice to Softkit!" she hissed, her black fur fluffing out, making her look half her usual size.

"But herbs are so boring!" the white she-kit scowled up at Blackkit from her spot under the other kit's paws.

"All you two do is talk about herbs all day long!" she continued in a scathing tone, making Blackkit cuff her over the ear.

"Hush you mean furball!" Blackkit cried angrily, "I'm going to be Softkit's apprentice when she becomes a full-fledged medicine cat."

"Ugh!" Lynxkit groaned irritably, rolling her eyes and lashing her tail. "Can you guys talk about anything other than herbs?" she said in a spiteful tone.

"Now that's quite enough Lynxkit!" her mother snapped, narrowing her eyes and scowling down at her daughter.

"But mama-" she tried to protest, but was cut off by a low warning hiss from Leafcloud.

"Apologize now!" Leafcloud hissed, her patience was beginning to grow thin.

Lynxkit sighed in frustration but did as she was told.

"I'm really sorry Softkit!" she quietly meowed, ducking her head and staring down at her paws in shame.

Softkit giggled and playfully swatted one of Lynxkit's ears with a paw. "It's ok Lynx!" she meowed cheerfully, "I forgive you."

Softkit jumped onto the top of the fern-coated nursery. She lifted her nose and tried her hardest to look like a regal leader instead of a tiny, fluffy kit.

"I, Softstar, call all of you to a FlowerClan meeting!" she mewed, staring down at Creamkit and Lynxkit, who were staring at her with wide and curious eyes.

"Softkit!" Willowsneeze gasped, her eyes going wide in terror as she saw that her daughter was sitting on top of the fern-coated nursery, which was about two tail-lengths up from the ground. "Get down from there before you get hurt!"

Softkit yelped and quickly scrambled down the wall of the FlowerClan nursery.

"Softkit! Don't you ever do that again!" her mother shrieked. "You scared me half to death!"

Softkit lowered her head in shame and stared down at her paws.

"I'm really sorry for scaring you mama," Softkit quietly meowed, looking up at her mother with tear-filled eyes. "I won't do it ever again, I swear to StarClan."

Willowsneeze had just opened her mouth to respond but she was interrupted by Dawnstar.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the Tall Bush for a FlowerClan meeting!" Softkit mewled in surprise, then trotted over with Creamkit.

She squeezed past Moonsong and Falconswoop, and sat beside her mother, Willowsneeze. Dawnstar looked out at the Clan, her green gaze searching. It landed on Softkit for a moment, and she blushed and licked her chest fur, self-conscious.

"Noble cats of FlowerClan! We gather here today for one of our most important announcements. The making of new apprentices!" Dawnstar yowled. Creamkit squealed excitedly from beside her, and Softkit bumped her flank playfully. Dawnstar looked down at the two bouncing kits.

"Softkit, Creamkit, please step up to the Tall Bush." She mewed. Softkit dashed over, trying to be in the front, but Creamkit was faster than her and beat her to it. Dawnstar glanced down at the impatient Creamkit. She smiled at her large amber eyes, which were widened in both nervousness and excitement.

"Creamkit, do you promise to listen to your mentor and uphold the warrior code?" she asked her, her voice steady and calm.

"Yes," she mewed, her fur fluffed up in anticipation. Dawnstar smiled.

"Then, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Creampaw. Falconswoop," she meowed, pointing to the dark gray tom, "will be your mentor." Falconswoop happily padded up to Creampaw and touched her nose.

"I promise to train Creampaw to my best abilities," he meowed seriously.

Suddenly, a wave of nervousness shivered over Softkit. She was next in line! Please don't let me mess up! she thought, both praying and pleading to StarClan. As she looked up at Dawnstar's fluffy brown face, she thought she saw a flicker of something in Dawnstar's leaf-green eyes, but it flickered away far too quickly for her to judge.

"Softkit, do you promise to listen to your mentor and uphold the warrior code?" she repeated. Softkit nodded.

"Yes." Dawnstar then spoke the words, just as Softkit had dreamed of.

"Then, until you receive your full medicine cat name, you shall be known as Softpaw. Moonsong will be your mentor." Dawnstar mewed proudly.

Softpaw expected to see hostility in the silver cat's eyes, but she just saw kindness in their blue depths. She tapped her little soft kitten-petal-pink nose lightly with her rough pink-gray one. She looked up and nodded to Dawnstar.

"I promise to teach Softpaw everything I know," she mewed. Softpaw felt she might burst with happiness. I'm finally an apprentice! she thought, and padded over to the medicine den to start her training.