StarClan's Wrath

Chapter 1

Brightkit hopped around in the nursery. It was so fun, being the son of the leader and the deputy! Honeydrop licked her kit's head. "Now now, Brightkit. This doesn't mean you're better than everyone else." she mewed. "We can't favour you or your sister over a simple position. You're still a Clan cat, just as I'm still a Clan cat."

"But I'm important!" Brightkit whined.

"We're all important," Honeydrop murmured. "Now, go to sleep."

Brightkit huffed. "Okay," he mewed, upset. He laid down and rest his head on his paws. For a few minutes, all he could hear was the quiet outdoor ambiance, and his own breathing. Eventually, his eyes felt too heavy to open, and he fell asleep.

However, Brightkit's eyes shot open as he realized he was no longer in the nursery. No, this was somewhere peaceful. At the same time, it was terrifying. Did he sleepwalk somewhere far away from ShadowClan? Was he on the other side of the world? Where was Honeydrop? Sootstar? Stubbykit? Weedkit?

There were three cats that sat in a row, staring at him. "E-excuse me," Brightkit stammered. "Honeydrop told me to not talk to strange cats, but... where am I?"

"Don't be afraid, little one," the middle cat walked up. "I am Tigerstripe. I used to be a ShadowClan warrior."

"D-did you run away?" Brightkit stammered.

"I died." mewed Tigerstripe. "This is StarClan." He stepped to the side to reveal the heavenly place.

Brightkit shook. "Am I dead!?"

"No, no. This is a dream."

"Then what are you here for?"

Tigerstripe dipped a paw into the puddle below. In it, an image appeared. "Your destiny," he began, "is to be ShadowClan's honourary medicine cat. You will watch over the Clan side by side with your kin." It showed a fully grown Brightkit being named a medicine cat.

"You shall be named Brightflower," Birchpad declared in the image.

The second cat stepped forward. "A weed can only grow so big before taken down."

"Contaminated by an unfortunate poison known by all," the third cat mewed.

"No! I don't want my life chosen for me! I want to live my own life!"

Tigerstripe grew more tense. His tone was more hostile. "Accept your destiny, or you will have to face the consequences."

"But why do you have to choose for me?" Brightkit could only let out a silent hiss.

"Because," Tigerstripe hissed back. "StarClan says so."

Brightkit woke up with a flash. His sister was fast asleep next to him and both were still resting by their mother. It wasn't long before Weedkit woke up as well and glared at Brightkit. "Stop fidgeting! There's no ant in your nest! Honeydrop checked." she whispered.

"StarClan came to me," Brightkit whimpered. "They're going to punish me!"

"It's just a dream," Weedkit murmured. "Go back to sleep."

  Brightkit reluctantly looked at his sister snuggle and go back to sleep. It wasn't long before he also fell asleep, only to find himself back where he was. He was behind some bushes, and Tigerstripe and his cats were talking to a large cat. The cat's pelt was dark, and Brightkit immediately thought of something. Was this cat Shadowstar, the first leader of ShadowClan? He tottered closer to listen.  

"You can't be serious." the dark cat hissed. "It's not up to StarClan to control the life of a kit."

"Too late," Tigerstripe mewed, looking into a puddle that showed Sootstar, Brightkit's father and the leader of ShadowClan. He was sleeping peacefully in his den. "He already knows. And if something goes wrong, he'll go mad."

Again, Brightkit woke up. This time, daylight shone inside the den. Cats were walking around, Stubbykit was awake, chasing his make-believe long tail, Weedkit was already awake and playing with a beetle on the ground, and Honeydrop was biting into a piece of prey. The kits in the nursery were getting pretty big now, and it was about time they would become warriors. Brightkit got up and noticed Sootstar pacing around the hazel branch as if he was going to say something. Could this be it? Could this be the moment that he and his sister and friend would become apprentices?

"Well, I can't wait to become a warrior!" Stubbykit puffed his chest out and shook what existed for his tail. "I'm going to fight and make all the Clans look weak!"

"Well, I'm not going to make all the Clans look weak. I'll make ShadowClan strong!" Brightkit declared, standing in between his denmates.

Mintleaf gazed at the two mothers, her eyes filled with disappointment. "Bummer," she mewed. "Looks like I'll be alone for another moon."

"Don't worry, Mintleaf," Dawnwater reassured. "I'll stay with you until another queen moves in or until your kits are apprenticed."

The voice rang from outside. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the hazel branch for a Clan meeting!"

As if on cue, all three kits squealed with excitement. Brightkit, Weedkit, and Stubbykit all rushed to the front of the crowd. Up on the hazel branch were Sootstar and Birchpad. Birchpad stepped forward. "Cats of ShadowClan," he rasped. "as you know, I will not be around here forever. In fact, I think I've already been around here forever." The Clan stifled mrrows of laughter. "Regardless, it is time I took an apprentice." He looked down at the group of kits. Brightkit saw the excitement in his sister's eyes. "StarClan made sure this cat was destined become a medicine cat."

Weedkit looked like she was about to pounce up from her paws. "Brightkit, come up here." Birchpad mewed.

Brightkit felt like a stone dropped inside his belly. He was going to become the medicine cat? All because of what a few StarClan cats said? Next to him, his sister's eyes were widened, and her jaw was dropped with shock. Reluctantly, he stepped forward and under the hazel branch. How... why? I'm not fit for this. "Brightkit, do you accept the post of apprentice to Birchpad?" Sootstar smiled. With each silent second, the silent smile got a little more worried. "Don't be shy!" Soostar mewed.

Brightkit shook in front of the entire Clan. "I... I... I can't!" he wailed.