Rise of the Fifth {Warrior Cats}

Chapter 4

^ Aloe and Twine

Shadedstar stood on a tree root as everyone gathered around him. Port looked up excitedly, as well as Aloe and Twine. "Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what he is. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on he will be known as Larkwing."
"Larkwing! Larkwing!" They all cheered.
Larkwing, formerly Port, had decided to change his name to what it was now because he thought his pelt match the brown bird perfectly. He also found that it was his favorite prey to catch and eat.
"Aloe and Twine, you are old enough to be apprenticed. Aloe, from this moment on until your warrior ceremony you will be know as Falconpaw. Owlrunner will be your mentor." The new pair touched noses. "Twine, from this moment until your warrior ceremony you will be known as Morningpaw. Your mentor will be Mouseflight."
"Falconpaw! Morningpaw!" They chanted their names happily. The two were eight moons old, but they would still have to go through six moons of training.
"Shadedstar," Cloudheart and Raccoonfur came up to him after the ceremony. They had just gotten back when Shadedstar decided to have the ceremonies right away. The two didn't have time yet to tell him what had happened.
"Yes? Is it about the medicine cats?" He replied.
"Yes, and they both agreed to help us." Cloudheart told him.
"Now we're faced with the task of who wants to be the medicine cat." Shadedstar sighed. Everyone here were warriors, and he didn't know who would want to sacrifice their life as a warrior to be a medicine cat.
"I was thinking Shadedstar..." Raccoonfur paused. "I think I'll be the medicine cat."
"Are you sure?" He asked the gray warrior.
He wasn't quite sure if Owlrunner would be alright with that decision. They weren't exactly mates, but they drew the line pretty close.
"I'm positive." He responded.
"If you don't want to, all you have to do is tell me. Thank you though Raccoonfur." The black leader said.
"I have to meet each of them every other day starting in two days." He explained.
"Alright. I wish you well in training Raccoonfur." He nodded to the gray tom. "I will have to pick another deputy."
Shadedstar already knew who he wanted to pick.
"Cloudheart, will you be the new deputy? You are kind and slow to anger, always putting others first."
The white she-cat was stunned but graciously accepted. "Thank you Shadedstar. I will serve our clan with my life."

Three sun rises had passed from that time, and Shadedstar found himself standing next to Larkwing, waiting patiently by the yellow house. They had been standing there for quite some time with no sign of any cats.
"What if Spring was to busy to tell anyone?" Larkwing thought out loud nervously.
Shadedstar remained silent, but he too was afraid no one would show up. He checked the sun, and it had almost risen to almost the middle of the sky, far past morning. Shadedstar refused to give up though; he needed more warriors if the other clans were to take him seriously.
He mumbled, "Let's wait a little longer though."
A rustling noise from the trees above him startled them both. A black, orange, and white tortoiseshell she-cat pounced down from the branch, shaking the leaves slightly. She landed by Larkwing, padding in front of the two. She looked them up and down before saying anything.
"You the two cats from the forest?" She questioned, still eyeing them.
"Yes. Did Spring tell you?" Larkwing asked.
"Nah, I heard from a few other cats. Word travels fast here." She explained. "My name's Robin, yours?"
"I'm the LightClan leader Shadedstar, and this is my clanmate Larkwing." The black leader introduced himself.
She paused to think and then said,"Weird names. Anyway, I don't think it's safe to live here alone, especially when I'm expecting." She looked at her stomach.
"You're about to have kits?" Larkwing asked.
"Mind your own business," she snapped, and then continued, "Well, that cheating pebble-brained bastard named Grit might be the father of my kittens. Before I discovered how weak and stupid he is, we decided to have kittens. I have been trying for the past few days, so I think it's inevitable." She told them. "I wanted to leave the woods when I heard about Spring's litter. I told Grit and that whor..."
"Spring?" Shadedstar interrupted. "We talked with her, and we didn't know she had any kits."
"She doesn't now, at least I don't think." Robin said. "A fox got the other two of 'em. It's dangerous living in the woods. Humans keep you safe, but they're loud, obnoxious, and do the weirdest things to cats."
"Is that why you want to live in a clan?" Shadedstar asked.
"I suppose so." She nodded.
"Let's meet the clan. Follow me." He gestured. As they walked, he explained the Warrior Code and life of a clan cat.
"I think I can pry do it." She said.
Back at the camp, the greeting of Robin was rushed. Raccoonfur ran up to him, "Shadedstar, come to the nursery."
"Yes?" He asked concerned.
"While you were gone Honeyfall kitted." At his words Shadedstar sprinted to the nursery, not waiting for anyone.
"Honeyfall?" He stuck his head in and looked. Two toms, a fluffy orange one and a slim black one lay at her side.
"They're perfect." He bent over and licked each one.
"I've been thinking of names." She began.
"You've thought of some?"
"Sunkit and Nightkit." She said.
"I think they sound great." He purred, looking at his new family. The beautiful moment was disturbed by his thoughts of the other clans. One day, he would have to take them to the gathering, and he couldn't imagine the hatred that they would have to face.
"What's wrong?" Honeyfall questioned.
He didn't want to worry her by telling her. "I'm just thinking of their future."
She wrapped her golden tail around him. "Everything will be fine because StarClan is watching over us and you're the leader."

That afternoon Shadedstar discussed names with Robin. Eventually she settled on the name Robinsong, and Shadedstar had the name changing ceremony that day. She would still have to learn a few things, but she already knew basic battle moves and how to hunt.
It didn't take long for the phases of the moon to pass by, and finally the moon was at its full.
"How can you tell when the moon is completely full? It looked full last night, and the night before." Morningpaw padded next to her mentor Mouseflight.
"Once you've lived outside for a while you get the feel for it." She told her.
The clearing was just as he remembered it, not that it really changed much. All four leaders stood on the mossy boulders that were there, Maplestar of TimberClan, Breezestar of MoorClan, Rosestar of BerryClan, and Ashenstar of StoneClan Shadedstar entered the clearing carefully, and at first no one noticed as the cats emerged from the undergrowth.
"Shadedmoss?" A familiar cat questioned. The TimberClan deputy Foxtail stared at him in complete shock. "I thought you were gone for good."
"Not quite, and I have a very big announcement to make." He told him, drawing a few cats attention.
Soon the whole clearing gazed at them, some astonished and others angered.
"Traitors!" A cat yowled.
Shadedstar caught his mother's cold icy stare. Her green eyes never looked more harsh.
Shadedstar examined everything and jumped on a fifth rock that was almost as big as the others, although not exactly. He stood straight in attempt to look equal to everyone else. But he didn't feel like everyone else because his stomach went cold under their glares, and he wanted nothing more than to be back home with Honeyfall and his kits. As he remembered his kits, he gained a new confidence, telling himself to do this for Sunkit and Nightkit.
"StarClan sent me here for a special reason." He began.
Already murmurs and hisses sounded throughout the crowd.
"Get down from there!"
"You're not a leader!"
"Traitors!"
Shadedstar had to yell over the taunts to quiet them down. When he could finally speak he began,"Not long ago I was made a leader of a new clan called LightClan."
He was interrupted by yowls of anger. This time the other leaders had to quiet the clans down because they all had something to say.
"We don't have time for lies Shadedmoss." Maplestar said. "Say what you will quickly or else we will chase you out." The other leaders nodded in agreement.
"My name is Shadedstar now, and it is a full moon so there won't be any fights. You cannot chase out LightClan tonight." He told them.
"It doesn't apply to rogues and traitors!" Breezestar, the white leader of MoorClan, hissed.
"StarClan told us to make our own clan, and I can assure you that's exactly what we've done. LightClan is strong and striving. Honeyfall had kits, and we have a new queen, apprentices, and warriors." The black tom explained.
"How'd you get so many cats?" Rosestar, the BerryClan leader, asked. Out of all of them she didn't seem as angry as the others, only curious.
"A few are loners, and..." he was immediately cut off.
"You have weak pathetic kittypets for a clan? Ha!" Maplestar scoffed. "You and your 'clan' should stop wasting our time before all the real clans slaughter you."
"You can't break the truce." Shadedstar's voice was strong, though he really felt scared of the other clans. "Anyway, I have not hurt you in the slightest and there is no reason to hurt us."
"You are rogues trespassing on clan territory." Ashenstar of StoneClan hissed. "Anyway, you probably won't even last long as a clan. There is no real leader and every clan hates you. Give up while you still can."
Shadedstar actually considered this. "StarClan has given me a duty and I cannot fail them." Figuring he should probably get out before they chase him out, he said,"That is all we have to say. Until next gathering." He dipped his head with respect and jumped down. As he left hisses filled the clearing.