Polar Opposite

Sunflowers and Daisies

Hero screeched as loudly as he could at Sunpaw, a war cry he had been practicing for quite a while now. "You call that a battle cry?" Sunpaw said, as if reading his thoughts.

"Shut ya trap!" Hero yelled.

Sunpaw tilted his head in confusion. "Shut ya trap?- Чёрт!" Sunpaw yelped when Hero bowled him straight over and sent him tumbling down the hill. For a minute or two Hero rolled with him and they ended up splashing into a creek beside the twolegplace. Sunpaw hissed in pain when his foreleg struck a rock and shoved Hero off of him. Hero went tumbling for a second time and landed on his back. He let out a 'mrrow!' of laughter, Sunpaw just shook his head and began to check his paw for any major wounds. After a few minutes of struggling Hero got to his paws with the widest grin anyone had ever seen on a cat's face. "That was totally awesome dude!"

Sunpaw scowled at him and rolled his eyes. "For you maybe." he grumbled.

Hero's grin turned into a frown and he shuffled where he sat. "Sorry."

Sunpaw flicked his tail in acknowledgement. "It is fine."

They both sat there in awkward silence for a moment before Hero spoke up. "So uh, it's getting dark."

Sunpaw nodded. "I will see you next time, no?"

Hero in return smiled wiwide. "Yeah! Of course dude!"

The brown Tom squinted at him. "What does.. Dude mean?"

Hero looked taken aback and hummed in thought. "Well, it's just something I hear my housefolk say."

Sunpaw tilted his head. Hero smiled at him awkwardly. "It's confusing I understand, I didn't get it at first either."

This only confused Sunpaw more. Hero got up and sighed. "I'll just see you later." Then he promptly ran back to his housefolk.

Sunpaw sighed and turned straight back around to go back to his clan. On the way there a leaf crunching caught his attention. His fur bristled in alarm and he looked around wildly.

"Sunpaw." Siltfur warned, for what he didn't know. "Oh, hello Siltfur." He turned around to face the furious sounding molly. She glared down her apprentice with such coldness he swore it could've snowed right then and there.

"What did I say about meeting up with that mouse brained Kittypet!?" She spat at him, lips curled up to reveal a snarl.

"He's not mouse brained!" Sunpaw hissed straight back, immediately regretting his decision.

Siltfur looked taken aback, her fur bristling in anger and her stance battle ready. "Get back to camp. Now."

"But-" He started to protest.

"Now!" Siltfur snapped.

Sunpaw ran for it, tail between his legs and ears flat. Siltfur sat on her haunches and sighed. "I know you're there." She meowed. Hero bristled and slowly crept out of the bushes he was hiding in. "How did you know?" He whispered in awe.

"I'm daft, you furball!" Siltfur turned to Hero. "Unlike you, I know how to stalk properly. Sunpaw should have taught you better." She added quietly.

Hero's blue eyes widened. "Ho-" He began

"As I said, I'm not that daft. You think I didn't notice him sneaking out to meet you at every opportunity??" Siltfur scoffed. "Kittypets." She said with disdain.

Hero scuffed the ground in embarrassment. "So, Is Sunpaw in trouble?"

"Yes."

"Why?? We were just talking!"

"And that's the problem." Siltfur jabbed her paw into his chest. "He can't keep neglecting his duties just for you! He's got his own life to live."

Hero Looked at her sorrowfully. "But..." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I understand." His demeanor changed from the bristling and angry cat earlier, to sad and droopy.

"Good. Now scram!" She hissed at Hero. Hero booked it back to his housefolk, not looking behind him once in fear that she was chasing after him.

It was sunhigh when Sunpaw padded into the camp, his head hung low and a mouse and pigeon in his jaws. Siltfur, his mentor, had his other two catches, a squirrel. "Hey Sunpaw!" Lionpaw walked up to him eagerly. He looked up and offered a small smile. "Nice catches!" Sunpaw nodded and put his catch in the fresh-kill pile while Lionpaw set hers, A sparrow, inside the elders den. Sunpaw stretched and slowly made his way over to the tree stumps in camp. He plopped down beside it and drifted off to sleep.

"All cats old enough to train, gather at Tall Tree for a clan meeting!" Moonstar's yowl woke him up out of a deep slumber and nearly scared him straight out of his fur. Lionpaw sat beside him, giggling. "C'mon let's see what your name is going to be." She got up and her warmth left him. He heaved himself to his paws and stepped into the crowd of cats. Moonstar looked at him, pleased. "Sunpaw, please step forward." And he did, with more energy he had in moons. "I, Moonstar, leader of Riverclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." His voice boomed and it reminded Sunpaw of Hero. He suddenly dropped but forced a smile like always. "Sunpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." he straightened up and looked at his leader.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sunpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sunflower. StarClan honors your Strength and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Riverclan." Moonstar smiled and walked down to where Sunflower was. Sunflower touched his nose to his leader's forehead and everyone cheered. "Sunflower! Sunflower!" He'd wished he could hear his siblings or his mother in the crowd, maybe even Hero but The entire clan cheering for him made him feel whole. Pride swelled in his chest as he pulled back and dipped his head to Moonstar. "Thank you." He mumbled and jumped down from the lowest branch. Lionpaw and Badgerpaw came forward to congratulate him, as well as his foster mother, Skipperfur. "Thank you, all of you." He whispered, cheers dying down.

"Thank you."