Up Until Now: A Warrior Cat FanFic

Chapter One*

Thistlekit POV

Today I was finally going to be made an apprentice! I was so excited! Ever since I was born I had dreamt about this moment. And now it was finally going to happen! My brothers Eaglekit and Thornkit were both excited as well, even though they both wanted different things than me. Eaglekit was going to be a medicine cat, ever since we were two moons old, he'd been interested in helping our medicine cat, WIllowfur, more than anything. Thornkit, on the other paw, wanted to be the next great leader of ThunderClan! And I knew he could do it as well.

My sister, Sunkit, didn't care about any of that. She wanted to be the best warrior possible, and have a mate, and kits. She thought that would be the best way to contribute to the Clan. I was more alike her than my other littermates.

"Thistlekit, Eaglekit, Thornkit, Sunkit, its time for your apprentice ceremony," my mom, Lilyfur called to us.

I went running to my mother, a pale gray she-cat. Her blue eyes were blinking in warmth at us, and I knew she was proud of me and my littermates. She was proud that we were to be apprentices today. And I made a silent vow to myself, and to StarClan, not to let her down!

She then scooped me over closer to her, and started licking my fur down. I tried to duck out of the way. "I can do it myself!" I told her. "I'm nearly an apprentice."

"I'm not going to let you out there looking like this Thistlekit. Your fur is sticking up in random spots," Lilyfur mewed gently. After she'd licked me clean, she moved on to Eaglekit, who made the same qualms I did, although I suspected he had just gotten back from Willowfur's den. He smelt like herbs, and his blue eyes were blazing with warmth. When Lilyfur was done with Eaglekit, she moved onto Thornkit, who tore himself away from our mother, and started licking himself in the corner.

He muttered, "If I'm to be Clan leader one day, I have to clean myself."

Lilyfur chuckled, and then turned to start cleaning Sunkit. My sister made absolutely no move or argument against it, and just sat there letting our mother clean her.

Just then, Hardstar, our father, the leader of ThunderClan, called out, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneat the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

"That's us," Eaglekit said eagerly.

Lilyfur lead us out of the nursery until we were sitting by the edge of the Highrock, towards the front of the crowd of ThunderClan cats already gathered.

Once everyone was gathered, Hardstar mewed, "Today is a proud day for ThunderClan, for today is the day that we name four new apprentices." His green eyes were filled with warmth at naming his kits apprentices, and I hoped we would live up to all expectations he had of us. "Kits, come here," he mewed. Us four kits bounded to him, with Eaglekit in the front, and Sunkit in the back.

"Willowfur would like to speak first," Hardstar mewed, and I knew that, as the white medicine cat padded forward, that he would be asking for Eaglekit to be his apprentice.

"Cats of ThunderClan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown kindness and loyalty. Your next medicine cat will be Eaglepaw!"

Hardstar looked at Eaglepaw, his green eyes full of warmth. "Eaglepaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Willowfur?"

Eaglepaw didn't even blink an eye as he mewed, "I do."

"Then at half-moon, you must travel to the Moonstone to be accepted by StarClan before all the other medicine cats," Willowfur said, his voice full of happiness. I imagined that he was quite ecstatic to be getting an apprentice, I'd heard whispers from Lilyfur and the other queen in the nursery, Voletooth, that he was older than Hardstar himself.

"The good wishes of all of ThunderClan will with you," Hardstar mewed, as he watched Eaglepaw and Willowfur touch noses. He then turned to the rest of us kits, and his green eyes met my blue ones.

"Thistlekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Thistlepaw. Dafttail, come here."

Dafttail, a brown she-cat with darker stripes, padded up to us. Hardstar turned to her, and mewed, "Dafttail, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Singeflame, and you have shown yourself to be brave and loyal. You will be the mentor of Thistlepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." I couldn't believe it! Dafttail was a fine warrior, she was a bit young but that was okay too! I touched noses with her, and her amber eyes were filled with happiness. I was to be her first apprentice!

"Thornkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Thornpaw! Redhawk, come here."

I knew instantly that Thornpaw was going to be happy! Redhawk was the Clan deputy! And when the ginger tabby came forward, Hardstar mewed, "Redhawk, now that Nettleclaw is a warrior, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You taught Nettleclaw wonderfully, and I know you will teach Thornpaw what you taught her. You will be his mentor." Redhawk and Thornpaw gently touched noses, and I could see the happiness radiating from my brother's blue eyes.

"And finally, Sunkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive you warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Nettleclaw, come forward."

Nettleclaw, a black she-cat with delicate white paws stepped forward, her blue eyes filled with warmth at the chance of getting her first apprentice. She had been just an apprentice when me and my littermates were born. "Nettleclaw," Hardstar mewed, "you are ready for your first apprentice. You had received excellent training from Redhawk, and I hope you will pass down all he taught to you onto Sunpaw. You will be her mentor, teach her your selflessness and bravery." Sunpaw and her touched noses, and I couldn't help but feeling excited for all of us. We were all apprentices!.

"Eaglepaw! Thistlepaw! Thornpaw! Sunpaw!" the Clan chanted.

Once it quieted down a little bit, Dafttai looked at me, and said, "Why don't you and your two littermates who'll be sleeping in the apprentices' den pick out a nest? Redhawk already agreed to show Thornpaw the territory with us."

"What about Sunpaw?" I asked.

"Nettleclaw wants her to clean our the elders' den today. Now go on, the territory will be waiting for you." She nosed me to the apprentice den, which was basically empty. The other five apprentices must be out in camp, and probably going out on patrol now.

Thornpaw poked his black head into the apprentices' den. When he saw me, his blue eyes sparkled. "Let's pick nests next to each other!" he mewed.

I nodded my head, and we picked two nests near each other that we could both tell by scent weren't being used. The only problem was that the only other nest available, the one that would be Sunpaw's, was on the other side of of the den. I just hoped she would understand.

"Congratulations on making the deputy's apprentice," I told my brother, our pelts pressing up against each other as we left the den.

"Thank you," he told me, his blue eyes filled with happiness. "Let's go explore ThunderClan territory now!"

Edited as of 4/5/2015