I'm Gonna Show You Crazy

AngelClan: First Day

Tigerkit's POV

"Tigerkit! Wake up! We're about to be made apprentices!"

"Wha...?" I groggily woke up to see my brother Gorsekit excitedly running circles around me. "...oh! We'll be training to become warriors!"

"That's right, and our own Mom will decide our mentors!" Gorsekit purred. "After Dad tries to get Blackkit out of the dirtplace, she's still hiding in there."

"Doesn't she know that cats were bred to hunt and kill?" I sighed. "She acts like it's the scariest thing in the world."

"It's okay, she'll get out eventually." Gorsekit said confidently. "She'll realize how awesome it is to become a warrior of AngelClan, I'm sure of it!"

I followed my brother out of the Nursery, excited to learn how to fight. For some reason, I always heard this faded voice in my head, telling me how exciting it'll be to feel blood dripping down my claws, or to feel one's life fading in my jaws. I was sure that all warriors went through this, so I encouraged the voice throughout my kithood.

My Dad, Jaspershade, was at the entrance of the dirtplace still. Then I saw the tom that my Mom warned me about.

Briarpool.

"Get your stupid kit out of there, I need to make dirt!" Briarpool spat. "If I was the father of Starlingstar's kits, they would've been made apprentices by now!"

Briarpool sharply turned his head in our direction, and Gorsekit stumbled back against me in fear. I was always told that bad cats got banished from AngelClan, so why was he still here? Did Mom know he acted like this?

"All cats that can hunt their own prey, come forward!"

Rosebreeze and Thomas replaced Dad in helping Blackkit out of the dirtplace so he could groom us. I purred as I felt my father licking behind my ears.

Mom stood before us, looking proud and blissfully happy. She said that she couldn't wait to tell us all the stories of AngelClan when we became apprentices, and now it was finally happening.

Blackkit finally joined us, looking ruffled as she avoided my gaze.

"Blackkit, you are now Blackpaw. Suzy will be your mentor, and she'll make sure that you have nothing to fear." Mom purred. "She's the white she-cat over there."

Mom flicked her tail in Suzy's direction, and Blackpaw quietly walked to her new mentor.

"Gorsekit, you are now Gorsepaw. Dan, I hope you can teach my son how to be the kindest warrior that he can be."

"Absolutely!" Dan promised, running to his new apprentice. Arin, being the last member of his polyamorous relationship, stepped forward.

"Tigerkit, you are now Tigerpaw. Arin will be your mentor, and will hopefully teach you what it means to be a true warrior." Mom concluded.

I stepped forward to the brown tom, devoid of any fierceness or outward muscle. Why would Mom give me this fluff-ball as a mentor? Isn't killing and fighting the entire point of being a warrior?

"I'm so honored to have you as my first apprentice, Tigerpaw." Arin purred, pressing his nose against mine. I gave a quiet "thank you" in response, glancing at Briarpool.

He was staring intensely at Blackpaw, and just when I thought he was going to leave her alone, he stepped forward.

"My apologies for being rude earlier, I can see that you have a hard time coming out of your shell." Briarpool walked even closer. "Mind if-"