Rising Sun- A Warrior Cats Fanfiction ✔️

Chapter 7

"Again."

"Yes, Nightshade."

"Again."

"Yes, Nightshade."

"Again."

"Look! what is even the point of doing the same thing over and ov-"

"I said again!" Sunpaw winced as claws scored down his flank, drawing blood.

His training sessions with Nightshade were promising, though they often drew too much blood, unlike Bumblestar's training, which seemed like kittypet pampering compared to Nightshade's brutal ways.

Bumblestar was amazed that he was such a good fighter, as was everyone else, and nobody seemed to be jealous of him.

Sunpaw had once asked Nightshade to reveal his secret to Ivypaw, earning him a score of claws down the face.

"Why would you even suggest such a thing?" The dark she-cat had wailed at the time, her eyes widening. Sunpaw ducked his head.

"Sorry, Nightshade! I just thought that if she knew, she would stop being so mean."

"Yes, you proved that much." She had lashed out angrily, giving him a nick in the ear.

Sunpaw had been training for almost four moons in Nightshade's care.

At first, he came approximately once a week to the Dark Forest, maybe twice. A moon later, he started coming more, another moon, more, another moon, more. Now, he came almost every day.

"Sunpaw! Focus!"

The golden tom suddenly shook himself awake. "Sorry!"

" 'Sorry' isn't enough." Came the curt reply. Nightshade's eyes were glaring at him, and her claws glinted silver in the moonlight. "Now do it again."

~.~.~

Many attempts later, Sunpaw finally managed to master the move, and had Nightshade rolled on her back before she even knew it.

The move was where Sunpaw dove through her legs and shoved her up from underneath her. Not only would it stun and hurt the enemy, but there was a high chance that they would be knocked off their paws.

"Sunpaw, your training is remarkable. You have learned most of the important moves required. Now, there is something that you need to do. Follow me." She lead the way into the forest, ignoring any questions that Sunpaw asked.

~.~.~

They had been walking for what seemed like ages, when Nightshade finally told him to stop. "Listen..." She murmured. Sunpaw pricked his ears and closed his eyes, and instantly detected many voices.

"Come on! You'll never beat anyone in a fight with that sloppy attitude!" "Don't change my rules! How dare you!" and "Even kits can do better than that!" Were the three things that caught his attention most.

Nightshade seemed to detect that, and murmured, "That'll be Palestrike talking about beating others in fights, Juniperheart about rule-changing and Tornfoot about kits doing better... They always say things like that. Anyway, follow me."

She emerged out of the darkness, revealing herself to a crowd full of cats.

Sunpaw followed quickly, eyes widening, though he quickly shook the feeling of awe off. Don't show them you're afraid... The voice in his mind whispered to him.

Fear is for the weak.

Sunpaw nodded to a pair of dark grey toms as he passed, following along behind Nightshade. Every cat stopped to look at him and Nightshade, and one or two snickered, a few bowed their heads, but most just stared.

Nightshade is one of the most respected warriors, along with her mother, Screech... Sunpaw suddenly remembered. She will have told cats about her apprentice- me.

He shuddered inwardly, though outward he stood tall and proud. He hadn't noticed it before, but he was nearly as tall as Nightshade herself, who was a rather impressive cat.

He moved quicker so he could tag alongside her. "Nightshade, why have you brought me here? I don't need to see other cats train."

That earned a warning lash of the tail from Nightshade, and also made her make a noise half-hiss, half purr. "Quite right, Sunpaw. You're here to talk to someone important."

She led the way to a gnarled oak tree. Sunpaw soon realized that it was the only tree that wasn't pine, and was huge, having many owl holes. Only they weren't for owls, he realised. They were for cats. And Nightshade was climbing to the very top, where the biggest hole was.

"Wait for me!" He yowled, and launched himself onto the first branch. He began hauling himself up the tree, reminding himself over and over not to look down.

It was a long time before he reached the top, but when he did, he was shocked to find a completlely white she-cat in the nest. "Good evening, mother." Nightshade dipped her head.

The white she-cat rose to her paws. "Nightshade, my daughter."

Sunpaw gasped. "You're Screech? But you're so... White."

This made the she-cat turn around to glare at him, though instead of two eyes, she bore a single bright yellow eye.

"Foolish kit. What did you think? I was named Screech for my appearance? Did you expect me to be a dark brown, the same color as a hawk, or possibly the darkest grey, like Nightshade, and like a Peregrine Falcon?"

Sunpaw flinched and dipped his head.

"As a matter of fact, yes, Screech. Sorry."

He prepared for a lash across the face, bracing himself for the sharp sting of pain, but nothing came but a cold chuckle from the older she-cat. "You really are awful. Well, I was named after the first thing my mother heard when I was born. Anyway, you aren't here to hear about my past. You're here for- wait, why are you here, Nightshade?"

"Sunpaw's first assessment." She mewed quietly, though Sunpaw felt a shrill feeling of excitement fill his heart.

"Assessment?" He mewed, eyes wide. Screech snorted and rose to her paws.

"Foolish apprentice. You do not know what I mean by 'assessment'." She rolled her eyes.

Sunpaw glared at her when she wasn't looking. "Yes I do!" He mewed defensively, earning a warning growl from Nightshade.

Screech turned her bright gaze back to her daughter. "Fetch Crumb. This apprentice of yours needs a challenge."

Sunpaw gulped, seeing a look of shock on Nightshade's face. "Who's Crumb?" He mewed quietly, eyes wide, though nobody was listening.

Nightshade looked like she was going to protest for a minute, but then decided not to, shutting her mouth quickly and dashing away to climb out of the tree.

Screech turned to Sunpaw. "You, apprentice, have been paired up with Nightshade's last student for this assessment, who died at your age and recieved the same amount of training as you have so far before death. Do not fail us. As for the assessment type? Well, let me say this... You-" -she paused, Sunpaw sensed, for effect- "-will fight to the death." The words hung in the air, much like the tension before a storm, and Sunpaw's heart stopped completely.